SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Senior
Amy Vytopilova matched her career high with five points, including the game-winning goal with 7:11 remaining in the fourth quarter, as the Union College field hockey team fended off Kean University in a 4-3 victory on Tuesday evening at Frank Bailey Field at Bertagna-Class of 1985 Stadium.
Vytopilova was all over the field for Union (10-6) on the evening, scoring two goals and adding an assist while taking 12 shots (eight on goal). Seniors
Maddie Greco and
Rachel Ostiguy both scored as well for the Garnet Chargers, who fired 34 shots toward the Kean net and required 20 saves from the Cougar goalies and defense.
The Garnet Chargers took their first lead of the evening less than five minutes into the contest, when Vytopilova took a long downfield pass from sophomore
Macy Goodwin and went in alone on Kean keeper Daniella Maresca for the score. The first period was the most even of the night, with both teams taking four shots and both Maresca and Union junior
Tess Parker making two saves.
Union outshot Kean (8-7) by an 11-3 margin in the second stanza, but Maresca made 10 saves to keep Union off the board and the visitors evened the score with 2:11 left on a Shannon Conroy shot off a penalty corner insert.
The home team again dominated play in the third quarter, taking 10 shots to Kean's one, but yet the teams still went to the fourth tied. Greco gave Union its second lead of the night with an unassisted tally in the 35th minute, her 11th goal of the year and 60th of her career. The Cougars' first shot of the period came with 1:57 left, but Ali Stoner made it count by picking the top corner from the right side of the arc to even the score again.
Union regained the lead for a third time less than a minute into the fourth frame off some nice passing, as Greco came down the left side and passed in front for Vytopilova, who tipped the ball to the back post for Ostiguy to tap home. But the lead lasted only three minutes this time, as Conroy converted another penalty corner with 11:27 on the clock.
And yet the Garnet Chargers had one more answer left in them, as Vytopilova scored the game-winning goal for the third straight outing with her second of the night. With less than eight minutes remaining, sophomore
Lily Durivage redirected a shot toward goal where it found Vytopilova for her 10th tally of the year, giving Union a pair of double-digit scorers for just the second time in the last 20 years.
Continuing with the theme of the night, Union had to withstand one last Kean offensive attack, with Parker making two saves in the final two minutes as the home team fended off a pair of penalty corners to escape with the win.
Union finished the game with a 34-14 edge in shots, including a 24-10 advantage in on-target attempts. Parker made seven saves to earn the win, while Maresca had 18 saves and was helped by a pair of defensive saves from Karli Pritchett.
Winners of three straight, Union will look to finish the regular season strong with a 4 p.m. matchup against Westfield State University on Thursday afternoon in Schenectady.
