NEW LONDON, Conn. – Junior midfielder
Brooke Miner '28 netted two penalty stroke goals and assisted on another in a 3-0 win for the No. 11 ranked Wesleyan field hockey team over Connecticut College on Tuesday night. The Cardinals (10-5, 5-5 NESCAC) head into the postseason winners of three straight while this result over the Camels (6-9, 1-9 NESCAC) marks the first shutout for Wesleyan in NESCAC play this season.
Wesleyan, the reigning NESCAC Runner-Up, is set to make their fourth straight NESCAC Tournament appearance. The Cardinals are the #6 seed and travel to Maine to face #3 seed Bowdoin on Saturday at Noon. The winning team advances to the NESCAC Championship Weekend (Nov. 7-8) which will be hosted by the highest seed left in the field.
The two-goal night Miner signals the first multi-goal game of her career while she is a perfect 5-for-5 on penalty strokes this season. Miner has 10 points (four goals, two assists) in the last three games alone while she continues a breakout junior campaign, upping her point total to 20 on the year.
The Cardinals got on the board just under the 10-minute mark when a Conn defender impeded a shot destined for the goal from
Emily Smith '29 with the back of her stick. A penalty stroke was awarded and as she has done all year, Miner stepped to the circle and buried the opening goal inside the left post.
Smith also drew the second penalty stroke of the first half, weaving through multiple Conn defenders before getting tripped in the circle by the Camels' goalkeeper. Miner once again got the call and went in the same direction, drilling a shot to the top left corner of the cage to make it 2-0 at the half.
Wesleyan added a third goal, this time off a penalty corner, with 4:42 left in the third. Miner received the ball on the wing and threaded a pass across the face of goal to
Leila Feldman '28, who swept the ball into the cage for the only tally of the second half.
Keira O'Flynn '29 had one of the best games of her young career, making a career-high eight saves to earn her second shutout of the season and her career. O'Flynn made five saves in the first half alone to and hasn't allowed a goal her last three starts.
Wesleyan heads into the NESCAC Tournament next and will face Bowdoin on Saturday. The Polar Bears defeated the Cardinals 2-1 in Brunswick back on Sept. 19 in the regular season meeting between the two sides. This marks the first postseason meeting between the two sides since 2005.
