The field hockey squad recorded their first win of the season on Sept. 11 with a 4-1 victory over rival Missouri State. The Billikens improved to 1-4 on the season, and will hope to build on their victory as the season progresses.
The Bears beat the Billikens to the board in the 19th minute after a SLU foul. However, from there on out, the scoring then shifted decisively in favor of the Billikens. SLU started their scoring run by converting on a penalty corner in the 27th minute. Freshman midfielder Sophia Cheever put the ball away after a SLU possession around the circle.
Ten minutes later, freshman midfielder Alison Pinnock scored the game winner on another penalty corner. Sophomore midfielder Molly Feid and senior back Maya Bentley were credited with the assist.
SLU’s third goal came in the run of play from Field in the 55th minute of the game. Sophomore forward Amanda Clark found Feild on a through ball at the top of the circle, and she flicked it over the goalie’s head to pull the Billikens ahead, 3-1.
The Bills scored their final goal of the game off a penalty corner from sophomore midfielder Carly Kissinger. Bentley finished the goal with ease from a quality service from Kissinger.
Bentley had the goal coming for a long time and was thrilled to see her persistence pay off. “I had been practicing that particular shot for awhile, so it was really exciting to be able to capitalize on the shot in a game,” she said.
Despite the disparity in scoring, the teams competed closely on both sides of the ball. SLU just outshot Missouri State, 15 to 14, and Missouri State earned 9 corners to SLU’s 8. The Bears earned 6 penalty corners in the second half alone, but a strong Billiken defense shut down their chances. Sophomore goalie Jessie Bryan made four saves in the game, but the Bills did not allow any shots on goal in the second half.
Bentley commented on the victory, and the importance of this win going into conference play. “It felt great to get our first win. We have been working hard and it’s great to see that work pay off,” she said. “It’s nice to get a win under our belt before conference so we can go into it with confidence in our ability to win.”
Head coach Danielle Baumgardner, who entered the season hoping to reverse the fortunes of the women’s field hockey team, earned her first win of her career with the Billikens. This was the Billikens’ highest-scoring game since a matchup against Appalachian State last October.
SLU travels to Amherst, Mass. on Sept. 16 to take on UMass and begin their conference season. “We will be practicing with an offensive mindset because we want to come out strong and score early against UMass,” Bentley said. The matchup between the two teams is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.
