The Sweet Briar College field hockey team dropped its fifth one-goal decision of the season, 2-1 to Goucher on Sunday.



The game was played at Amherst County High School. The Vixens conceded the winning goal in the final 10 minutes for the third time in four games.

Goucher scored the decider with exactly 10 minutes remaining. Rachel Crain got the slightest of touches on a Lizzie Barminski hit from outside the arc that would not have counted, redirecting it past Katie Torretti (17 saves) and into the cage.

The Vixens were outshot 12-1 in the first half but went into the break tied following a late goal. Hannah Oybkhan put a long pass into the box that skipped through to Allison McLamb, and the Vixen sophomore slipped it under Goucher goalie Demie Huffman.

Goucher had taken a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute, as Annie Carter snuck a shot pass Torretti from Emily Gill's assist.

Torretti saved Crain off the first penalty corner of the game, and then made saves on long-range shots by Carter and Kristen Shklanko.

The Vixens had some good build-up 20 minutes into the game, but first-year Rachel Rogers couldn't get to a dangerous crossing pass from Kimberly Orchowski.

SBC defender Molly Van Buren cut off Justine Ruhlin's pass with the net open. Soon after, the Vixens countered but Orchowski was unable to link up with Rachel Lenihan. Orchowski then forced a Huffman kick save, leading to a corner where McLamb deflected Oybkhan's hit just wide

Torretti made a string of saves to keep the game at 1-1, including a pad stop of Barminski's slap shot. Defender Eve Mergenthaler also recorded another defensive save, on Ruhlin, and would later save Ruhlin in the final seconds while playing as a kicking back in replacement of the goalkeeper.

After Goucher finally took the lead, Torretti made three straight saves on Carter to keep the deficit at one.

Sweet Briar falls to 0-8 on the year following another tough home defeat, and will be back at Thayer Field on Thursday for the Vixens' ODAC opener vs. Eastern Mennonite.