WASHINGTON, D.C. – In the 20th field hockey match-up between Catholic and Drew, the Cardinals came away with a 4-1 victory on senior day to remain unbeaten in the Landmark Conference.
Catholic now holds an 18-2 advantage over Drew over a 27-year span with its last loss coming in 2013. The Cardinals moved to 6-7 on the season and 4-0 in the conference while Drew fell to 7-6 and 1-3 in the conference.
The Cardinal offense was buzzing throughout the entire contest, dominating the Rangers in all categories. Catholic held the advantage in shots (34-2), shots on goal (18-2), and penatly corners (13-4).
Oli Bond got things started early with a goal just two minutes into the contest. After the Cardinals earned a penalty corner on their first offensive possession,
Lauren Keast interested the ball to the top of the arc and Bond fired a rocket to the back of the cage. The goal marks Bond's six goal of her rookie campaign and Keast's fourth assist of the season.
Catholic peppered the Drew defense with 12 more shots in the first quater, but could not double their advantage before the opening 15 minutes expired. At the start of the second quarter, the Cardinals lined up two more shots, both of which were stopped, and the Rangers responded a fast transition up field. Capitalizing on their only chance of the first half, Drew's Ellie Kopec sent the ball into the zone from the top of the circle and found Tyler Olivio in front. Olivio nudged a slow roller across the goal line to bring the game even.
It was all Cardinals from then on as the hosts notched three more goals to close out the sizable victory. With five minutes remaining in the half,
Niki Micciche had her initial shot saved by Drew's goalie Beth Kelly, but
Molly Romano was in the right spot to grab the rebound and secure the second opportunity score. The goal marked Romano's second of the season and gave Catholic a 2-1 lead heading into halftime.
The other two goals came in the third quater as Catholic secured both within two minute span. At the 8:08 mark,
MaryKate Ardizzi showcased her stick skills in traffic and maneuvered around the Ranger defense to set up a clean look. She rifled a low liner past the keeper for a 3–1 lead.
A minute and a half later, Keast added a goal to her stat line with her fourth of the season. She unleashed a slap shot inside the left post, increasing Catholic's advantage to three.
The Catholic seniors, who were honored before the contest, ensured Catholic maintained their comfortable lead to the end.
Emma Shallow and
Liv Ingram held down the back line while Micciche,
Sophia Conners, Allison Flynn, and
Nancy McGettigan pushed the offense up field. The Cardinals were awarded three consecutive penalty corners in the fourth quarter, but the Ranger defense held up against the assault keep the score in tact.
The Cardinals are on the road for their next contest on Tuesday, October 15 as they travel to Elizabethtown. Opening touch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
