#17 Field Hockey Downs RPI, 3-1

#17 Field Hockey Downs RPI, 3-1

TROY, N.Y. -- Julia Bell scored the gamewinner just before halftime to lead #17 Mount Holyoke to a 3-1 victory over Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in non-conference field hockey action on Saturday afternoon at Harkness Field. With the loss, the Engineers drop to 1-2 on the season, while the Lyons remain undefeated with a 3-0 slate.

RPI got on the board first, as freshman Jena Nawfel (Waterville, Maine / Waterville) scored her first collegiate goal off an assist from Colleen Morris (Pound Ridge, N.Y. / King Low Heywood Thomas) on a penalty corner at 14:02.

Mount Holyoke responded in the 23rd minute with an unassisted tally from Kirsten Kilburn (North Branford, Conn. / North Branford), as she collected a rebound off of her own shot and tipped it into the cage past RPI's Hilary Fiorentino (West Deptford, N.J. / Gloucester County Institute of Technology). Bell (Longmeadow, Mass. / Wilbraham Monson) put the Lyons up, 2-1, at 33:40, as Allison Slysz (Hatfield, Mass. / Smith Academy) passed into the circle following a penalty corner, where Bell got her stick on the ball for the score.

Mount Holyoke scored the only goal of the second half at 48:13, as Charlotte Wagner (West Chester, Pa. / Westtown School) dribbled into the circle, dodged a defender, and reverse-sticked the ball into the cage.

Mount Holyoke outshot the Engineers, 13-10, in the game, and held an 11-5 advantage in penalty corners. Fiorentino finished with five saves for the Engineers, while Lyons goalkeeper Liz DiCesare (Westford, Mass. / Bishop Guertin) stopped three opposing shots.

Rensselaer will return to action on Sunday, Sept. 14, visiting St. John Fisher in non-conference action at 1 p.m. The Lyons are back in action on Tuesday when they travel to Amherst for a 5pm contest.

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Story courtesy of Brianna LaBreque, RPI Athletic Communications.