Brewers Clip No. 9 Red Hawks With Early Goal

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – The No. 16 Vassar field hockey team struck early and often against the No. 9 Montclair State Red Hawks, and eventually were able to break through for the 1-0 victory at Weinberg Field on Wednesday night. A 16th-minute goal from Emily Poehlein (Northampton, MA) proved to be the game winner in the exciting affair. Vassar (6-1) is riding a four-game winning streak along with their fourth-consecutive shutout. The contest was played mostly in the Montclair State (7-1) end, as Vassar totaled six first half penalty corners along with outshooting the Red Hawks 9-1 in the opening period. Vassar had plenty of scoring chances early in the half. Christina Lopez (Timonium, MD) attempted a short range shot on goal, but Red Hawks' goalkeeper Nicole Andriani was there for the close save. Alyssa More (Wilmington, DE) and Sam Plante (Watertown, MA) would keep the pressure on the Montclair goalkeeper, accounting for two shots on goal each. "We know we're a fast team, we know we pass well, and most importantly, when we play together, we are unstoppable," stated Vassar head coach Michael Warari. "Montclair state is a really good team, so we knew if we didn't play our best, it was going to be a long day. I'm extremely proud of how strong, committed and determined my team played and showed all the way to the end." The Brewers' defense cut off any Red Hawk passes throughout the half, preventing any offense to develop. Eventually Montclair broke when Mikayla Young (Honesdale, PA) took a penalty corner from the left side. The senior launched the ball to Megan Caveny (Cicero, NY) at the top of the circle who then found Poehlein in front of the net for the goal. Poehlein has now scored in four-consecutive games. Following the half, the Red Hawks began to play with a sense of urgency being down 1-0. Montclair outshot Vassar 6-3 in the second while holding a 6-3 penalty corner advantage. The Brewers defense remained all over the opposing players, and while the Red Hawks outshot the home team, not a single shot was on goal. A Montclair penalty corner in the final minutes put some Vassar fans on edge, but the play was broken up and the Brewers managed to wind the clock down. Liz Rotolo (Lebanon, NJ) started in goal for Vassar and recorded her third shutout of the year, while Montclair's Andriani picks up six saves. Vassar opens Liberty League action at 2 p.m. on Saturday when the team travels to RPI.