After a resounding 4-0 win over Roanoke in Saturday's home opener, Centre Field Hockey looked for a weekend sweep on Sunday. The result was not meant to be as the Colonels struggled to gather quality attempts in a 1-0 loss to Bridgewater.
Centre had an early look thanks to a penalty corner in the 5th minute of the 1st quarter, but the play was cleared out by the Bridgewater defense.
Eliza Hensley got the start in goal for the Colonels and stopped 2 shots in a span of 26 seconds at the midway point of the quarter to keep the game level.
Olivia Vonderheide, fresh off Saturday's hat trick, had a go at goal with 7:33 to play in the 1st, but the shot sailed just wide of the target. Centre fended off 2 late penalty corners to keep the game scoreless after 1.
Centre pressed again early in the 2nd as Vonderheide had a shot turned back with 7:30 to play.
Claire Martin gathered the rebound, but her shot attempt sailed high over the goal. Just over 2 minutes later, Bridgewater struck off a penalty corner. A play into the box was deflected off an Eagle stick right to another for a tap-in goal to give Bridgewater the breakthrough. In the 22nd minute of the game,
Ashley Hamilton had 2 shots in a matter of seconds. The first was blocked and the second slipped just wide. The Colonels best go on goal came with 1:53 to play in the half. Bridgewater's goalie stopped a
Claire Martin shot but was whistled for covering the ball, giving Centre a penalty stroke.
Ashley Hamilton's shot was stabbed away by the right leg of the Bridgewater goalie. The game went to the break still 1-0 to Bridgewater.
A similar story carried through the second half. The Colonels had sporadic threats on the goal but could never find the combination to draw the game level and would go on to take the 1-0 defeat. Centre finished the day with a 6-5 advantage in shots on goal and also drew 9 penalty corners to 7 for Bridgewater.
The Colonels will use the week to regroup and prepare for a weekend road trip to Virginia, starting next Saturday at Eastern Mennonite. The action starts at 12:00pm for Harrisonburg, VA.
