Field Hockey Rallies for Thrilling Third Quarter in Comeback Senior Day Win
Seniors Bella Reyes and Lauren Keast were honored before the match. Image courtesy of Sarah Lodge and Catholic Athletics.
By Griffin Cappiello
Field hockey opened Landmark Conference play on Saturday, September 26, with a 5-1 victory at home against Lycoming. Catholic fell behind early but mounted a comeback; the Cardinals scored four goals in the third quarter to take the lead over the Warriors.
Eight minutes into the match, Lycoming’s Ava Daly found the back of the net as she curled a shot past sophomore goalkeeper Camryn Lowman to open the scoring.
The second quarter went the way of the Cardinals; Catholic recorded 11 shots and earned 6 penalty corners. Senior forward Lauren Keast and junior midfielder Molly Romano took control of the game and put many balls across the face of goal, but the Cards could not work out the final product to find the back of the net.
In the third quarter, the floodgates opened for the Cardinals. Two minutes into the second half, senior midfielder Bella Reyes injected the ball off a penalty corner, and Romano sent a rocket past goalkeeper Hilary Clark, equalizing the game. Less than one minute later, freshman midfielder Hope Wagner netted a goal off a pass from junior forward Katie Flynn for her first career goal.
The Cardinal attack was relentless and did not stop there. Freshman defender Sophia Sullivan worked the ball into the circle, and her shot found its way into the net as she scored the first goal of her career. Junior forward Tess Hake’s injection was stopped by Romano, whose shot rebounded back out for Flynn. Flynn took a shot from distance, and junior forward Kira Bobian batted the ball out of the air and into the back of the cage for the Cardinals’ fourth goal of the quarter and the first of her career.
Two minutes into the fourth quarter, Romano found the back of the net once more, marking the first multi-goal game of her career. The Cards fended off a promising counterattack by the Warriors at the end of the match and flew away with the victory. Catholic improved their record to 3-5, while the Warriors fell to 3-5.
Prior to the match, the team honored seniors Bella Reyes and Lauren Keast for their contributions on and off the field. Alongside members of their families, Reyes and Keast received flowers as the team cheered them on. The team also recognized Coach Bryce Carlin, a graduate assistant who will graduate from her master’s program in the spring.
The Cardinals will return to action on Wednesday, September 30, on the road against #19 Shenandoah at 6 p.m.
