Wesleyan University

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. – The No. 12 ranked Wesleyan field hockey team scored early and often in a dominant 7-1 win over Union on Wednesday night from Hicks Field. The Cardinals (6-3) open their five-game homestand with a win while snapping the Garnet Chargers' (7-4) three-game win streak in the process.
 
It took just 1:22 minutes into the contest for the Cardinals to bury the opening goal as Teddy Tolbert '28 carried into the circle along the end line before finding Emily Smith '29 on the left wing. Smith turned towards the center of the circle before firing the ball at the near post for Tolbert to tip in opener.
 
With the ball hemmed in the Union defensive end of the field, the pressure led to another Wesleyan goal off a penalty corner at the 6:09 mark of the first quarter. Kenzie Mauro '27 inserted to Brooke Miner '28 at the top of the circle who stopped and set up a straight shot for Leila Feldman '28 who hit a bouncer off the turf and inside the right post.
 
Just one minute later, Miner found the net on a penalty corner as the Mauro insert came to Meera Patel '29 at the top of the circle. Patel stopped the ball and stepped away for Miner to step into a shot that she lifted off the turf and over the outstretched arm of the sprawling Union goalkeeper.
 
The goal-scoring barrage continued just 18 seconds after the Miner goal, with the Cardinals winning the ball back within seconds after the restart. Miner passed to Smith at midfield who carried deep into the Union defensive end before passing to Feldman who dribbled into the circle. Moving to her left, Feldman fired a sweep shot inside the left post as Wesleyan led 4-0 after just 7:28 of play.
 
Wesleyan continued to lead by the four-goal margin into the second half when Feldman made it 5-0 Cardinals. A loose ball in the Union defensive end found Feldman's stick who carried into the circle before a powerful sweep shot beat the Union keeper just over five minutes into the third quarter.
 
A string of successful passes on a penalty corner led to the sixth Wesleyan goal of the night. Late in the third quarter, Natalie Shaw '28 inserted to Marley Procopio '29 who passed to Miner in the middle of the Union circle. With Miner's back to goal, she passed to Smith at the right wing who had a second to line up a lofted shot that found the back of the cage.
 
Union broke up the shutout bid early in the fourth quarter as Amy Vytopilova deflected in a well-hit ball from Rowan Dapson on a penalty corner to make it 6-1.
 
Wesleyan finished off the scoring with a first career goal from Izzy Ounjian with 5:21 remaining. Smith had just subbed back into the game and she received a pass with speed moving upfield. With Ounjian running open to her left, Smith dribbled into the circle before centering to the first-year who made contact and scored to complete the scoring in the 7-1 Wesleyan win.
 
Feldman notched three goals for her second career hat trick, while she now has five goals in the past three games. Smith recorded one goal and three assists for the second time in the past three games, moving her season total up to 10 assists through nine games. Miner posted her first career four-point game as she finished with one goal and two assists. Mauro tallied two assists for her second career multi-assist game.
 
The Cardinals finished with an 19-8 edge in shots (14-4 in shots on goal) while Wesleyan held a 12-5 advantage in penalty corners.
 
Up next for Wesleyan is a Saturday NESCAC showdown with Colby at 11 AM on Hicks Field.