ANNVILLE, Pa. – The Lebanon Valley College field hockey team secured its spot in the MAC Freedom Championships with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Misericordia University on Wednesday evening. The Dutchmen broke through in the fourth quarter on a goal by
Alexis Nasuta and delivered a stellar defensive effort to earn the shutout.
Defense controlled the contest from the opening whistle, as neither team was able to find the back of the cage through the first 45 minutes. Misericordia generated the first two penalty corners of the night in the opening period, but the LVC defense held strong by limiting the Cougars to a pair of attempts from Madison Lasinski.
Maggie McAteer produced both of Lebanon Valley's shots in the quarter.
The defensive battle continued in the second, with the Dutchmen earning their first penalty corner in the 28th minute.
Jillian Tait followed with a pair of shots during the period, but the teams entered halftime locked in a scoreless tie.
Misericordia tested the Dutchmen early in the third quarter when Lasinski put an attempt on cage in the 33rd minute, as goalkeeper
Ella Weidenhammer came up with the save. Lebanon Valley responded by earning consecutive penalty corners from Nasuta in the 35th minute. The Cougars later created back-to-back corners of their own, but LVC's defense prevented a shot from reaching the cage.
Weidenhammer was called upon once more late in the third, stopping another Lasinski attempt in the 45th minute to preserve the scoreless contest heading into the final quarter.
The Dutchmen finally broke through after applying sustained pressure early in the fourth. LVC earned three penalty corners over a span of less than three minutes before Nasuta scored the game's first and only goal at 48:59, giving Lebanon Valley a 1-0 advantage. The tally was Nasuta's sixth goal of the season. Nasuta knocked the ball into the back of the cage after a scrum in front as the ball found its way past the goalie.
Misericordia made a late push for the equalizer, earning consecutive penalty corners in the 56th minute, but the Dutchmen defense once again stood tall. Lebanon Valley then shifted the pressure to the other end of the field, where Tait put a shot on goal that was stopped by Misericordia goalkeeper before LVC earned another corner.
The Dutchmen closed out the final minutes to secure the 1-0 shutout and clinch a berth in the MAC Freedom Championships.
Inside the Box
- Alexis Nasuta scored the game-winning goal
- Ella Weidenhammer made two saves to earn another shutout
- Tait had a team-high three shots, including one on goal
- The LVC defense held Misericordia scoreless while allowing just two shots on goal
- The Dutchmen had a 7-6 shot advantage in the game.
Up Next
The Dutchmen head to Hoboken, New Jersey on Saturday, October 24, for a first-place battle with Stevens Institute of Technology. Game time is scheduled for 12 p.m. against the Ducks.
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