HOUGHTON, NY – Senior Lydia Dewart and sophomores Caroline Desautels and Grace Kelleher all scored goals for the Nazareth College Field Hockey team as the Golden Flyers recorded a 3-1 victory over Houghton College Thursday afternoon on Burke Field in Houghton.
The Golden Flyers (1-1) won for the first time this pandemic-shortened season.
Nazareth struck first off a penalty corner in the first quarter as Desautels took the corner and sent a ball out the edge of the circle to senior Natalie L'Hommedieu who then sent a short pass to freshman Marissa Berghorn. The freshman sent a shot toward the goal that was redirected by Dewart into the back of the net at the 8:41 mark of the period.
Early in the second quarter, Nazareth took a 2-0 lead when sophomore Bailey Selman sent a shot into the circle that was blocked by the defense but Kelleher picked up the loose ball and drove a shot past the Highlander goalie.
The scored remained 2-0 as the first half ended and neither team was able to score in the third quarter.
The Golden Flyers surged ahead 3-0 early in the final quarter as senior Abbey Szumloz stole the ball on the defensive side of the midfield line and sent a long pass forward to Desautels who moved past one defender and went in alone on the goalie and fired a low shot into the goal for the three-goal lead.
Houghton scored midway through the fourth quarter on a penalty corner – it's eighth of the day – but could not close the gap any further as Nazareth held on for the 3-1 win.
Junior Amanda Chuttey finished with five saves and felt the most pressure in the second quarter when Houghton had six penalty corners and Chuttey made three saves.
Nazareth will play its third game of the four-game Spring schedule Sunday with a road game at Hartwick before finishing the season at home the following Sunday against St. John Fisher.
