SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Senior
Amy Vytopilova had a pair of goals to lead six different goal scorers as the Union College field hockey team rolled past Vermont State University Castleton by a 7-0 score in Tuesday's non-conference season-opener at Frank Bailey Field at Bertagna-Class of 1985 Stadium.
The team's seven goals are the second-most scored in a season-opener in program history and the most since putting up 13 goals in a shutout win over Regis College on September 8, 2007.
Vytopilova led the way for Union (1-0) with her third career multi-goal effort, scoring back-to-back goals in the second and third periods, and tied sophomore
Katelyn Birnbaum for the game-high with four points, thanks to Birnbaum's one goal and two assists. Seniors
Rowan Dapson,
Reese Fendelet and
Maddie Greco and junior
Maggie Monaghan all scored as well for the home team, while first-year
Caroline Ranucci also picked up a pair of assists in her collegiate debut.
The Garnet Chargers dominated play from the very outset, holding Castleton (0-1) without a shot while firing 26 attempts toward the Spartan cage. The home team also held a commanding 17-3 advantage in penalty corners and scored at least one goal in each quarter.
Dapson got the scoring started with a nice individual effort, maneuvering around multiple defenders before finding space at the top of the arc and firing a rocket past goalie Izabella Cosden in the fifth minute of action. The home team scored twice more in the span of 35 seconds later in the frame to make it a three-goal lead after one quarter. Greco took a feed from Birnbaum on a two-on-one to deposit her first of the season at the 8:51 mark, and the senior forced a penalty stroke with another attempt just a few seconds later that Monaghan sent into the back of the net.
After taking nine shots in the first quarter, the Garnet Chargers added nine more to the ledger in the second, but six saves from Cosden limited the damage to one Vytopilova tally that came in the 22nd minute off Ranucci's first collegiate assist.
Vytopilova and Ranucci connected again in the 37th minute to make it a 5-0 Union lead after 45 minutes, with the senior scoring again at the back post. Fendelet found the net at the 50:02 mark off a Birnbaum feed to increase the lead to six, which is where the game looked to finish before Birnbaum corralled a shot off the post by Monaghan and put it home with just two ticks left on the clock.
Junior
Tess Parker played the first three quarters in goal to earn the win, while senior
Marion Stuntz and first-year
Ellie Skolnekovich closed out the contest in the fourth frame.
The Garnet Chargers are back in action on Saturday with a non-conference matchup at #7 Middlebury College beginning at noon.
