CASTLETON, VT. – Despite the first collegiate goals from junior Suzanna Wright and first-year Amelian Stevens, the Union College field hockey team dropped a 5-2 match to Vermont State University Castleton on Friday night at Dave Wolk Stadium.
 
Union (0-1) was unable to contain Castleton's Emily Harris on the night, as the Spartan had a hand in all five goals – scoring four times and assisting on another – to lead her team to the season-opening victory.
 
Wright gave Union an early lead just 2:46 into the contest, taking a feed from Stevens and finding the back of the net to put the Garnet Chargers in front. However, the lead lasted just 46 seconds as Harris netted her first of the game at the 3:32 mark, and then put her team ahead for good with 4:48 left in the opening quarter.
 
After a scoreless second stanza, Harris completed her hat trick to make it a 3-1 Castleton lead 6:35 into the third quarter. Stevens answered back off a penalty corner insert from senior Grace Krebs to get the deficit back down to one in the 42nd minute, but again Castleton had a quick answer as Jess Smithson scored 70 seconds later to regain the two-goal edge.
 
Despite Union holding an 8-2 edge in shots in the fourth frame, the only goal went the way of the Spartans, as Harris capped her stellar night with a fourth tally to put the game away.
 
Union finished the game with an 18-14 edge in shots, but Castleton's Zoe Martin made nine saves to earn the win. Sophomore Sophie Brady made five saves and allowed three goals in 36:35, while first-year Marion Stuntz conceded two tallies and stopped two shots over the final 23:25.
 
Union will return home tomorrow for its home opener against Russell Sage College beginning at 1 p.m. in Schenectady.