MOUNT OLIVE (Oct. 28) – In the last South Atlantic Conference (SAC) regular season match, No. 5 Mount Olive defeated the Bearcats by a 5-2 margin. This win completes the undefeated conference regular season and the season sweep over Lander.
With the win, the University of Mount Olive field hockey team improves to 15-1 overall and 14-0 in the SAC. During this season, the Trojans were ranked the highest in program history at No. 4 in week 6 and earned its first-ever Atlantic Regional ranking at No. 3. Meanwhile, Lander falls to 10-6 overall and 9-5 in league play.
In the first quarter of the match, the Trojans were awarded with their first penalty corner. With an initial shot by junior
Annefleur Moerkerken, sophomore
Nikki Bos collected the rebound and scored the first goal of the match at the 10:15 mark, 1-0. Just under a minute later, freshman
Femke van Marle dribbled the ball toward the baseline to find junior
Amber Dercksen to score her seventh goal of the season, 2-0. In the second quarter of the match, Lander scored to close the first half, 2-1.
At the start of the second half, senior
Avery Congleton found teammate Dercksen to tip the ball around the keeper at the 36:46 mark, 3-1. Nearing the end of the third quarter, UMO saw another shot on goal but still led by two going into the last frame of the match. In the final 15 minutes of the match, UMO kept pressing on the offensive side of the field. At the 48:32 mark, the Trojans were able to find a fast break. With a through ball by Dercksen, Bos collected the pass. Going two vs one against the Bearcat keeper, Congleton finished the goal, 4-1. At the 51:15 mark, a perfect pass by junior
Sophia Frugoni went through the circle. Taking a one-touch hit, senior
Alisia Lovejoy scored to extend the lead by four, 5-1. With a last-minute goal by Lander, the Trojans sealed the 5-2 victory completing the undefeated regular season.
Senior goalkeeper
Alanna Barrett collected six saves in a full 60 minutes of play while facing eight shots on goal.
The Trojans held a 12-11 advantage on shots and a 9-8 edge in shots on goal.
The Trojans prepare to face the winner of the Belmont Abbey and Lander match in the semifinals of the SAC Championship taking place at the University of Mount Olive on Friday, Nov. 3 at the Ray McDonald Sr. Sports Complex.
