St. Mary’s City, MD – The St. Mary’s College of Maryland field hockey team delivered a dominating performance on Wednesday night, securing their second Atlantic East Conference (AEC) win of the season while maintaining an unblemished league record. St. Mary’s College, with a 7-5 overall season record and 2-0 in the AEC, achieved an impressive 8-0 victory over the visiting Knights of Neumann University, who stood at 3-10 for the season with a 1-2 AEC record. This win marked the Seahawk’s fourth shutout of the year, showcasing their prowess on the field.
The Seahawks wasted no time in asserting their dominance, storming ahead with a commanding 4-0 lead in the first quarter. Four different players contributed goals, with sophomore midfielder Josie Shermeyer from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, finding the back of the cage and notching her first collegiate goal at the 14:31 mark, assisted by junior captain Charlotte Horn from Schnecksville, Pennsylvania.
The second quarter saw St. Mary’s stretching their lead to 5-0, courtesy of a goal from first-year midfielder Alyssa Riggleman, hailing from Sudlersville, Maryland. After the halftime break, the Seahawks continued their scoring onslaught, adding two more goals, this time from sophomore forwards Brenna Ziegler and Briana Allen, and taking their lead to an impressive 7-0.
First-year player Tori Hampton from Frederick, Maryland, also joined in the scoring action, marking her first career goal and putting the finishing touches on the Seahawk’s remarkable performance in the 51st minute.
The statistics reflected St. Mary’s utter dominance in the match, as they outshot Neumann with a staggering 28-1 advantage, including a 13-1 lead in shots on goal. Furthermore, the Seahawks maintained control with an 8-1 margin in penalty corners. Neumann’s only shot in the game came in the first quarter from Jamie Reed, but it was efficiently handled by St. Mary’s junior goalkeeper Kaley Christman from Jefferson, Maryland.
Noteworthy individual performances included Ziegler, who led the Seahawks with two goals, and sophomore forward Emma Watkins, from Frederick, Maryland, who achieved a career-best performance with four points, including one goal and two assists. Alyssa Riggleman also had a career-best outing, contributing three points with one goal and one assist.
Kaley Christman earned her first start of the season and, along with first-years Caroline McDonald and Payden Knoll, achieved the team’s fourth shutout of the season. St. Mary’s College extended their remarkable record against Neumann to 8-0, having outscored the Knights 43-1 in their encounters.
On the other side, Neumann University’s goalkeeper, Emma Schneider, made four saves in the first half, while Caley Gee took over for the second half and made one stop.
The St. Mary’s College field hockey team’s next challenge awaits them on October 14, where they will face Manhattanville with a 3-8 season record and a 0-2 AEC record in Purchase, New York, at the GoValiants.com Field, with the match scheduled to kick off at 11 a.m. The Seahawks will want to maintain their winning momentum and continue their successful run in the Atlantic East Conference.
In summary, St. Mary’s College showcased their field hockey prowess with a resounding 8-0 victory over Neumann University, solidifying their position as a formidable force in the Atlantic East Conference this season. With their second conference win, they are set to take on Manhattanville, aiming to extend their winning streak and make their mark in the AEC.
