MIDDLETOWN, Conn. –
Leila Feldman '28 scored twice in the second quarter, kickstarting a string of three unanswered goals for the No. 12 ranked Wesleyan field hockey team in a 4-2 win over Colby on Saturday from Hicks Field. The Cardinals (7-3, 3-3 NESCAC) win for the third time in their last four NESCAC games while the Mules (5-5, 1-5 NESCAC) lose their third straight league game.
Wesleyan wasted little time pressurizing the Colby defense, as four shots were attempted in the opening 3+ minutes of play before all that pressure paid off with a
Teddy Tolbert '28 goal just 5:19 into play. Coming off a penalty corner,
Natalie Shaw '28 inserted to
Brooke Miner '28 at the top of the circle. Miner sent the ball at the left post where Tolbert was waiting for the deflection.
Colby answered back just over two minutes later as Christina Sweeney looked to have scored initially, with
Keira O'Flynn '29 getting a piece of her shot and then Shaw cleaning up the rest with a defensive save off the line. The loose ball, however, skirted to Ruth Collins who buried the rebound to tie the score.
The Cardinals needed just 49 seconds into the second quarter to retake the lead as Wesleyan worked their way up the field from their own defensive end. Tolbert eventually picked up a loose ball just outside the circle where she took one touch before sweeping a pass to the far post where Feldman came in with a diving redirect to make it 2-1 Wesleyan.
Feldman scored her second of the quarter on a straight shot off a penalty corner late in the period. Shaw inserted to Miner at the top of the circle who laid the ball up for Feldman who hit a shot that took several bounces off the turf before hitting the back of the cage, giving Wesleyan a 3-1 halftime lead.
The third quarter was one-way traffic throughout the 15-minute frame as Wesleyan outshot Colby 7-1 and held a 6-0 edge in penalty corners. A third unanswered Wesleyan goal came early in the frame when the Cardinals were awarded a penalty stroke on a Feldman shot that would have been a goal, if not for a Colby player using her chest to deny the scoring chance. Miner walked up and buried the penalty stroke inside the left post to make it 4-1 Cardinals.
On what was Colby's only shot attempt of the third quarter, the Mules took advantage of a Wesleyan turnover deep in the Cardinals' defensive end. Bridget Everett applied pressure in the Wesleyan defensive circle, winning the ball back, and sliding in a goal to make it a two-goal game midway through the third.
Even with that Everett goal, Wesleyan responded a resounding defensive showing, holding Colby to just one shot over the remaining 23+ minutes of play as the Cardinals secured the 4-2 win.
Feldman continues a torrid goal-scoring run, as the junior has at least one goal in five straight contests while she's scored all seven of her goals this season in that five-game run. Miner recorded one goal and two assists for the second straight game, giving her eight points in the last two contests. Tolbert had one goal and one assist, giving her five goals on the year which matches a single-season career-high for the junior forward.
Wesleyan finished with a 20-7 edge in shots for the game including a 14-3 margin across the final three quarters. The Cardinals also put up a 14-1 advantage in penalty corners in the game.
A quick turnaround for Wesleyan sees the Cardinals play host to No. 2 Middlebury on Sunday at Noon on Hicks Field.
