Box Score The Sweet Briar backline (nine defensive saves) kept things close until late in the game, but the Vixen field hockey team ultimately dropped a 4-0 decision to Frostburg State on Wednesday at Thayer Field.
Junior Eve Mergenthaler made a career-high six defensive saves, achieving several milestones in the process. She set a new Sweet Briar school record with her final stop, and moved into the top-20 all-time in Division III with 29.
Junior goalie Katie Torretti made 11 saves herself, and Allison McLamb, Adelaide Hedge and Emily Dallas each made defensive stops as well.
The Bobcats had two penalty strokes in the game, with Alexandra Darrow hitting the post in the first half before converting one late for the game's final goal.
Darrow opened the scoring in the eighth minute, and assisted Jackie Best for the second tally 11 minutes later.
In between, both Mergenthaler and Hedge cleared shots off the line in succession for the Vixens.
Later in the half, Mergenthaler swatted a Taylor Bowen shot off the line with her hand, saving a goal but earning a yellow card and a 10-minute penalty. Darrow hit the post, and the Sweet Briar defense held on shorthanded to keep the deficit at two.
Naja Butler kicked in Jacquelyn Nava's cross late in the first half, with play being whistled dead.
Mergenthaler made two defensive saves in a row in the second half, blocking Darrow from the left side and then getting across the cage to deny Best's rebound from the right.
Sweet Briar's Hannah Oybkhan delivered a dangerous cross in the 53rd minute, but Jessica Lusby couldn't quite run onto it. Later, Oybkhan hit a shot off the goalie's blocker and in, but the play was called off due to being shot just outside the arc.
Sweet Briar kept the score at 2-0 for over 39 minutes, but Best finally put the game away with her second of the day at 58:08.
The Vixens fall to 0-6 and will be home against on Saturday against Bethany College.
