ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. – Junior forward Brenna Ziegler scored the game-winning goal three minutes into overtime, propelling St. Mary’s College of Maryland to a 4-3 victory over Randolph-Macon College in a non-conference field hockey match Wednesday evening.
The thrilling contest, which saw six goals scored in the first 30 minutes, ended with St. Mary’s improving their record to 2-2, while Randolph-Macon’s record also stands at 2-2.
St. Mary’s College started strong, with junior forward Emma Watkins finding the back of the cage less than two minutes into the game, giving the Seahawks an early 1-0 lead. Sophomore midfielder Tori Hampton extended the lead to 2-0 at the 13:31 mark with a powerful shot into the lower right corner.
Randolph-Macon responded just before the end of the first quarter when Ashlyn White converted a penalty stroke, cutting the deficit to 2-1. However, Watkins struck again just 19 seconds into the second period, restoring St. Mary’s two-goal advantage.
The Yellow Jackets mounted a comeback, with Natalie Moul leading a 2-0 run. Moul scored an unassisted goal at 25:05 and then assisted on Llana Thach’s equalizer just over three minutes later, tying the game at 3-3.
Despite St. Mary’s outshooting Randolph-Macon 4-0 in the final 30 minutes of regulation, Yellow Jackets goalkeeper Valentina Ambrogi-Torres made two crucial saves to force overtime.
In the extra period, Ziegler emerged as the hero for St. Mary’s, netting her first goal of the season to secure the victory for the Seahawks.
St. Mary’s dominated the stat sheet, outshooting Randolph-Macon 17-9 (13-5 on goal) and holding a slight 5-4 edge in penalty corners.
Sophomore Caroline McDonald made two saves in goal for St. Mary’s to earn the win. Watkins led the Seahawks’ offense with two goals, while Ziegler finished with a team-high seven shots.
For Randolph-Macon, Moul was the offensive standout with a goal and an assist, tying for the team lead with two shots. Ambrogi-Torres recorded eight saves in goal, while Anna Scheir contributed a defensive save for the Yellow Jackets.
The victory provides momentum for St. Mary’s College as they prepare for their next match. The Seahawks will travel to Owings Mills, Maryland, on September 18 to face an undefeated Stevenson University team (5-0) at 5 p.m.
This early-season non-conference win could prove valuable for St. Mary’s as they look to build consistency and confidence moving forward. The team’s ability to overcome a late-game tie and secure the win in overtime demonstrates resilience that could serve them well in future close contests.
For Randolph-Macon, the narrow loss provides learning opportunities as they regroup and prepare for their upcoming matches. The Yellow Jackets showed determination in erasing a two-goal deficit, a quality that could benefit them as the season progresses.
As both teams continue their seasons, this high-scoring affair may be remembered as a pivotal early-season test that helped shape their respective campaigns.
