SWEET BRIAR, Va. – Sophomore
Haley Littlefield (Albany Township, Maine) scored both goals, including the overtime winner off an assist from senior
Emmi Burdine (Huntington Beach, Calif.), as the Sweet Briar College field hockey team (1-12, 1-5 ODAC) defeated the Eastern Mennonite University Royals (0-12, 0-5 ODAC), 2-1, this evening at Thayer Field. The victory marked the Vixens' first win of the season and their first conference victory.
Sweet Briar established its offensive presence early, with Burdine and first-year
Sam Venturini (Manassas, Va.) forcing saves in the opening six minutes. The Vixens broke through at the 7:31 mark, when Littlefield scored her second goal of the season following a Burdine shot that EMU goalkeeper stopped.
The Vixens continued to apply pressure throughout the first quarter. Littlefield tested the Royals goalie again less than 30 seconds after the goal, then had another attempt turned away by a defensive save late in the period. Junior
Megan Newton (Jaffrey, N.H.) also put a shot on target as Sweet Briar finished the opening quarter with a 9-0 advantage in shots and a 1-0 lead.
Sweet Briar kept the opportunities coming in the second quarter, earning six penalty corners and taking five shots. Burdine put two attempts on goal, while Littlefield had another shot denied by a second defensive save. At the other end, junior
Reiyn Hart (Bridgton, Maine) stopped an attempt at 24:48 to preserve the lead. Senior
Gigi Hutman (Bordentown, N.J.) added a shot on goal late in the quarter, but the score remained 1-0 entering halftime.
The Vixens earned five more penalty corners in the third quarter, but EMU began to generate more chances. Hart denied a chance at 39:41 before the Royals tied the game at 43:14, following a penalty corner. Hart then saved a shot in the final minutes of the quarter to keep the teams level at 1-1.
Sweet Briar controlled the shooting opportunities in the fourth quarter, outshooting EMU 7-0. Newton forced a save at 51:49, and Littlefield tested the visiting goalkeeper again at 55:09. The Vixens also earned four penalty corners during the period, but neither team found a go-ahead goal before the end of regulation.
After an EMU shot was blocked early in overtime, Littlefield took over offensively for Sweet Briar. She had an attempt blocked at 61:58 before forcing consecutive saves at 63:05 and 63:10. Her persistence paid off at 65:01, when she scored off Burdine's assist to secure the 2-1 victory just over five minutes into the extra period.
Highlights
- Today marked the first multi-goal game of Littlefield's career and her first game-winning goal of the season.
- Sweet Briar has now won the last four games against EMU.
- Head Coach Kylie Gargiulo earned her first victory at Sweet Briar this evening.
What's Next
The Vixens will head to Batten on Oct. 23rd for the last road conference game of the season.
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