SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Senior
Emily Dawson scored the game-winning goal late in the third quarter and the Union College field hockey team held off St. Lawrence University in the final frame to post a key 2-1 Liberty League victory on Sunday afternoon at Frank Bailey Field at Bertagna-Class of 1985 Stadium.
The win was big one for Union (10-3, 2-3 Liberty League) in the race for a postseason berth, moving the team into a tie for fifth place with Skidmore College with two games remaining. The win is also Union's eighth straight on its home turf, matching the 2008 and 1988 teams for the most home wins in a single season in program history.
Dawson's goal was her 13th of the season, moving her into a tie for seventh place on the school single-season list. The senior currently ranks second in the Liberty League this season in both goals and points (31). Junior
Grace Krebs also scored for Union in the win, while senior
Jill Bove and sophomore
Grace Goddard picked up assists.
At the other end of the field, first-year
Sophie Brady made six saves to pick up her 10th win of the season, tying her for fourth place on the school's single-season wins list. Senior
Caroline Werner also had a key defensive save in the second quarter to help the defensive effort.
After a scoreless first frame, Union got on the board first less than two minutes into the second stanza. Following some nice passing that got Goddard the ball along the near endline, she stickhandled along the boundary before dishing off in front for Krebs to put away her fourth tally of the year.
St. Lawrence evened the score 4:31 into the third quarter when a Maggie Green shot deflected off a defender's stick and in, but Union tallied late in the frame to get back in front. After a pass was intercepted in midfield, Bove took a few touches before firing a ball from well outside the arc toward the Saint net, where Dawson was waiting to tip it home for the go-ahead goal.
The visitors kept the pressure up in the fourth frame, but the Union defense was up to the task, fighting off three penalty corners and limiting the Saints to just two shots, one of which was stopped by Brady with just over a minute remaining to preserve the win.
Union finished the game with a slight 11-10 edge in shots, while both teams ended up with seven saves. SLU ended up with nine penalty corners to Union's six.
Union will close out conference play with two tough tests next weekend, beginning on Friday at William Smith College beginning at 4:30 .m.
