ITHACA, N.Y. – The Union College field hockey team started its Liberty League schedule on Saturday afternoon at Ithaca College's Higgins Stadium, falling short to the #23 Bombers by a 2-0 score.
The teams battled to a scoreless stalemate through the opening 30 minutes, with the teams combining for eight shots. Both Union junior
Tess Parker and Ithaca's Maeve Clark made one save in the opening half, as the defenses limited chances on both ends, including a second period that did not feature a shot from either side.
Union (4-3, 0-1 Liberty League) outshot Ithaca (7-2, 1-0 Liberty League) by a 6-3 margin in the third quarter, but it was the home team that scored the frame's only goal off a penalty corner just 53 seconds in. The visitors nearly tied the game on a penalty corner in the 40th minute, but a shot by junior
Rowan Dapson was saved by defender Margaret Lansley and a rebound attempt by Dapson was also kept out of the net by Clark.
The Garnet Chargers had two more shots saved on a penalty corner with less than two minutes remaining in the third, as the visitors headed to the fourth still down a goal. Unfortunately for Union, that third-quarter flurry was its best chance at finding an equalizer, as the team could not manage a shot in the fourth quarter and Ithaca added an insurance goal with 3:25 left to secure the win.
Union will look to get back in the win column on Wednesday with a mid-week matchup against SUNY New Paltz beginning at 4 p.m. in Schenectady.
