SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Union College field hockey team attempted a comeback in the fourth quarter but the effort fell just short as Union dropped a 2-1 contest to Skidmore College in a Liberty League matchup on Friday night at Wagner Park.
Senior
Emily Dawson scored her 12th goal of the season in a losing effort for Union (9-3, 1-3 Liberty League), matching her career-high and moving her into a tie for 10th place on the school single-season goals list. Her 29 points so far this year move her into a tie for ninth in a single season at Union as well.
Carrie Hughes had both goals for Skidmore (8-6, 2-2 Liberty League), which moves ahead of Union into fifth place in the conference standings with the win.
Skidmore started off with an 8-2 edge in shots over the first 15 minutes, with Union withstanding the push until the final minute. After a penalty corner with 1:10 remaining, senior
Caroline Werner made a defensive save and first-year
Sophie Brady made a stop before a penalty stroke was called that Hughes converted to put the Thoroughbreds up 1-0 after a quarter.
Werner added another defensive save and Brady stopped two shots in a scoreless second stanza, but Hughes found the net again in the third period off a penalty corner insert to give the home team a two-goal edge headed into the final frame.
After withstanding some early pressure in the fourth, Union finally started to assert itself offensively in the final 10 minutes, keeping Skidmore without a shot. Dawson made the score 2-1 with 5:14 remaining in the game with an unassisted tally. First-year
Alyssa Pavano forced a Skidmore save and a subsequent penalty corner with under three minutes left, but a Union attempt went wide and the home team managed to hold on.
Skidmore finished the game with a 20-12 edge in shots, with Brady making five saves to keep the visitors in the contest.
Union will return home on Sunday for a key Liberty League clash with St. Lawrence University beginning at 3 p.m. at Frank Bailey Field at Bertagna-Class of 1985 Stadium.
