WINCHESTER, Va. – Junior forward Brenna Ziegler scored her team-leading third goal of the season, but St. Mary’s College of Maryland (2-7) fell 3-1 to No. 15 Shenandoah University (7-2) in a non-conference field hockey matchup on Wednesday evening.
How It Happened
Shenandoah struck early, taking the lead at 6:36 of the first quarter on their first penalty corner. Madison Short inserted the ball into the center of the circle, where Mairead McKibbin set up Farren Winter for a powerful shot to the middle of the goal. The Hornets increased their lead to 2-0 at 20:59 when Winter, on a self-start from a free hit just inside the circle, drove another shot past the Seahawks’ defense.
St. Mary’s College struggled to find their footing in the first half but emerged with greater intensity after halftime. Midway through the third quarter, senior captain Charlotte Horn and Ziegler tested Shenandoah’s goalkeeper, Taylor Swann, with three quick shots. However, Swann remained resilient, keeping the Seahawks off the scoreboard.
Winter completed her hat trick early in the fourth quarter, dribbling through the circle before maneuvering past Seahawks’ first-year goalkeeper Sophia Kent and lifting the ball into the net. Less than a minute later, St. Mary’s responded with Ziegler’s goal. The junior forward received a pass from Horn, spun around Swann, and found the back of the cage at 51:24 to put the Seahawks on the board.
Key Statistics
Shenandoah outshot St. Mary’s 10-6, with a 6-4 edge in shots on goal. The Hornets also held a slight 4-3 advantage in penalty corners.
- St. Mary’s College: Ziegler led the Seahawks with three shots, all on goal. Sophomore goalkeeper Caroline McDonald made one save in the first half, while Kent added two stops in the second.
- Shenandoah University: Winter dominated with three goals on five shots, four of which were on target. Swann made three key saves to extend Shenandoah’s win streak to five games.
Up Next for St. Mary’s College
The Seahawks will host Lancaster Bible College (2-9) on October 4 at 6:30 p.m. in St. Mary’s City, Md., followed by an away game against Bridgewater College (5-3-1) on October 6 at 1 p.m.
