MADISON, N.J. – Propelled by
Alicia Theoret's two-goal effort, the FDU-Florham field hockey team earned a 4-2 victory over Wilkes University on Saturday afternoon at Robert T. Shields Field.
The Devils (9-4, 2-1 MAC Freedom) scored three times in the game's first seven minutes and held off a second-half push by the Colonels (7-6, 2-1 MAC Freedom) to secure the victory.
Theoret's two goals were the first of the campaign for the junior midfielder and both tallies came during the seven-minute offensive surge.
The junior midfielder put the Devils in front 1-0 with the game's first shot. The goal unfolded 2:05 into play when
Kim Davis sent a lead pass to
Stephanie Geskes who successfully drew Wilkes goalkeeper
Dallas Kendra off of her line and then sent the ball to Theoret for the score.
FDU-Florham continued the pressure and at the 5:47 mark, Davis inserted a pass to
Alicia Grotyohann, who from the right post slapped a shot past Kendra for the Devils' second goal. Just 18 seconds later, the Devils struck again when a perfectly positioned Theoret received a feed from Davis in front of the cage and knocked it in for a 3-0 lead.
Trailing 3-0, the Colonels stormed out of the halftime break with a renewed energy. After only managing two shots in the first half, they pushed forward for 10 shots in the latter stage. Less than two minutes into the second stanza, the Colonels were awarded a penalty stroke and the team's leading scorer
Marissa Surdy stepped up and scored.
Then, at the 48:57 mark, Surdy sent a well-paced ball toward the cage and
Alysa Adams deflected it past Devils netminder
Amy Defnet to make it a 3-2 game.
With the Devils now clinging to a one-goal lead, senior midfielder
Stephanie Geskes stepped up and delivered a game-clinching goal. In the 68
th minute, Geskes took a pass from Grotyohann in the middle of the circle and sent a rocket into the back right corner of the cage for her first goal of the season.
Davis, the MAC Freedom's leading scorer, handed out a career-high three assists in the win, while Grotyohann's goal was her fifth of the season.
Defnet made seven saves in the game, including six in the crucial second half, while
Christina Granteed relieved Kendra at the 8:04 mark and made four saves.
FDU-Florham is back in action this Wednesday, October 14 when they head to Annville, Pa. to take on Lebanon Valley College at 6 p.m.
