SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College field hockey team dominated NFHCA #4 Williams College in the first quarter and nearly took a lead into halftime, but the nationally ranked Ephs eventually broke though and then tacked on some late insurance to complete a 5-1 win over the Garnet Chargers on Wednesday evening at Frank Bailey Field at Bertagna-Class of 1985 Stadium.
Senior
Maddie Greco scored for Union (4-2) during a first quarter in which the home team looked like the better team, outshooting the visitors by a 6-1 margin and earning the frame's only two penalty corners. The defensive unit hemmed in the Ephs for much of the frame and did not allow a shot in the final 12:38 of the period.
Greco had three shots to lead the Garnet Chargers in the opening period, the last of which came at the midway point of the frame when she corralled the rebound of a shot by sophomore
Katelyn Birnbaum and found the net for her team-leading fifth goal of the year.
Williams (6-1) began to assert itself and increase the offensive pressure in the second stanza, taking four shots and earning six corners. Union withstood the pressure defensively until the final corner of the half, when Keira Harder batted a rebound out of midair and into the net with 41 seconds remaining to tie the score heading into halftime. The visitors then struck again on their first corner of the third quarter as well, getting a goal from Sawyer Rowland just 90 seconds in to take their first lead of the day.
Taking a 2-1 lead into the fourth quarter, the Ephs put the game away with three unanswered goals. It was a still just a two-goal Williams lead in the final minutes until a pair of goals by Haley McAuslin over the last 2:27 made the final margin seem larger than the gameplay bore out.
Williams outshot Union 14-1 over the final 45 minutes to hold a 15-7 edge in shots on the evening. Junior
Tess Parker made six saves to keep Union in the game.
Union will look to shake off the loss on Saturday, when the Garnet Chargers begin Liberty League play with a key matchup at #23 Ithaca College beginning at 1 p.m.
