The Sweet Briar College field hockey team couldn't find a late goal, losing 2-1 to visiting Ferrum on Thursday at Thayer Field.



The Vixens lost despite holding a 23-15 advantage in shots and a 17-8 gap in penalty corners.

Kasey Sheets finished off a rebound to give Ferrum a 2-0 lead with just over 10 minutes to play, after Courtney Hamm had scored from Alicia Jones' pass earlier in the second half to open the scoring.

Sweet Briar fought back immediately, with senior Adelaide Hedge smacking a pass from Hannah Oybkhan off a defender and into the upper netting.

The Vixens were all over Ferrum the rest of the way but couldn't find an equalizer. Allison McLamb nearly countered immediately after the goal, and she and Jessica Lusby were both saved in succession with eight minutes to play.

Hedge was active at both ends for Sweet Briar, while Ferrum's Brittany Hall came up with two defensive saves. SBC goalie Katie Torretti (12 saves) made four diving stops to deny Kiana Mohica on each occasion.

Hedge nearly scored 20 minutes into the first half, but her shot from outside the arc was ruled to have been left untouched before going into the cage- resulting in no goal. Minutes later, she broke up a dangerous rush from Hamm on the defensive end.

The senior also nearly scored with 20 minutes remaining, deflecting a shot from Eve Mergenthaler just over the corner of the frame.

Hall made a stop on Vixen Dayze Gaulin to save a goal in the 15th minute, with Oybkhan being saved on the ensuing corner. 

In the second half, Hall blocked Oybkhan's shot for her second defensive save of the day.

After some early pressure from Sweet Briar, Mohica broke free the other way. Torretti came way out and made an outstanding diving stop to keep the game scoreless.

Torretti went down to stop Mohica again in the 42nd and 45th minutes, as part of a Ferrum flurry that included five saves and six penalty corners in just over three minutes.

Torretti made yet another great breakaway save on Mohica, but a later save against Mohica fell to Sheets to finish off for a 2-0 Ferrum lead.

Sweet Briar (0-2) will continue a four-game homestand against Notre Dame-Maryland on Saturday at 2 p.m. Ferrum (1-2) records its first victory of the year.