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SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Junior Katie Talacci scored a pair of goals and classmate Mary Beth Rudolf made eight saves to hold off a furious late-game rally as the Union College field hockey team started the 2019 season with a 3-2 win over Castleton University on Friday night at Frank Bailey Field at Bertagna-Class of 1985 Stadium.
 
Talacci scored the first and third goals of the game for Union (1-0), which defeats Castleton in the season-opener for the fifth straight season. Charlotte Leyland started off her senior year with a goal of her own, while freshman Caroline Werner had an impressive collegiate debut with a pair of assists.
 
The first goal of the game came off a nice pass down the field by junior Cici Lyne, whose pass was tapped past the goalie by Werner for Talacci to tap into an empty net and put the Dutchwomen ahead with 2:14 remaining in the opening quarter.
 
After a scoreless second stanza, Union started to take control in the third quarter, getting a goal from Leyland off a pass from sophomore Cristina Boudreau and then Talacci's second from Werner less than four minutes later to take a seemingly commanding 3-0 lead with 8:13 left in the third.
 
But the Spartans did not give up, getting one goal back late in the third and outshooting the Dutchwomen 6-2 in the final stanza. Gabriella Hunt got Castleton back within a goal with 1:19 remaining, but it was too little too late for the visitors.
 
Rudolf stood tall in goal for Union on the day, making two saves in the first half and six in the second 30 minutes of play to pick up the victory.
 
The Dutchwomen will return to action next Saturday with a road matchup at Wheaton (Mass.) College starting at noon.