SALISBURY, Md. – The No. 3 Salisbury
University field hockey team turned the tables on No. 13
Christopher Newport University on Wednesday evening at Sea Gull
Stadium. SU snapped a two-game losing streak to the Captains with a
2-1 overtime victory before a crowd of 300 under the lights.
Sophomore Kandice Hancock delivered the knock
out punch when she ripped the game-winning goal from the
top of the arc, four minutes into the extra period, past CNU
goalie Elexa Nosonchuk (12 saves).
This is the fourth consecutive time in the series
history that the game has been decided by the 2-1 margin. CNU
(1-2) handed Salisbury its only regular-season loss in '07 and the
year before the Captains derailed the Sea Gulls bid for a fourth
consecutive national championship with an overtime upset in the
NCAA tournament second round. SU currently holds the series lead,
7-2.
It was a defensive struggle in the first half as the two teams
went into halftime scoreless, 0-0. CNU was the first on the board
when senior Haylie Black scored her second goal of the young season
off a pass from Kylie Cale in the 45th minute.
The Sea Gulls (2-0) trailed for just eight minutes in the game
as junior Lauren Correll tied the game as she
scored an unassisted goal at the 52:32 mark. The game tying goal
was set-up on a Hancock centering pass from the right side of the
cage to Correll who fired a shot that was saved by Nosonchuk. The
ball bounced off Nosonchuk's leg pad and onto Correll's stick for
the rebound goal.
SU's young defense appeared in control as they held
CNU to just two shots. Salisbury sophomore goalie Claire
Davey-Karlson started and earned the shutout victory. The
Sea Gulls had 21 shots in the game, three in the overtime period.
SU also took 18 penalty corners while CNU only had six.
The maroon and gold will prepare to host their annual SU
Invitational this weekend at Sea Gull Stadium. The two-day
tournament will feature SU, Denison University, SUNY Brockport and
Frostburg State University. The Sea Gulls begin Saturday's schedule
with a 7:30 a.m. contest with Denison followed by a 12:30 p.m. game
with SUNY Brockport. There will be four games on Saturday and two
on Sunday morning.
