Box Score THE BASICS
-Score: West Chester University 2, Assumption University 1
-Records: Assumption (0-1), West Chester (1-0)
-Location: Worcester, Mass. (Brian Kelly '83 Stadium)
-The Lead: The Assumption University field hockey team battled to a 2-1 setback in their season opener at Brian Kelly '83 Stadium on Friday evening. The Hounds battled into overtime in their first game back on the turf since 2019. The game held scoreless through the first three periods, before first year, Mia Salah (Gloucester, Mass. / Gloucester) got things rolling with her first career goal with the Hounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
-The Greyhound defense held strong through the first half, with eight saves by senior goalkeeper, Kylie Gargiulo (Madison, Conn. / Daniel Hand) and a defensive save by Hannah Tepper (Stroudsburg, Penn. / Stroudsburg) late in the second period to hold the score at 0-0 heading into the halftime break.
-The Hounds got on the board first with just over 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Senior Jenna Graf (Ballston Lake, N.Y. / Shenendehowa) found Deirdre Burchill (Braintree, Mass. / Braintree) up the middle who tipped the ball in the circle, and Salah knocked it in for the 1-0 lead.
-The Golden Rams wasted no time, coming back down the field with the next possession and sophomore Paige Wolfe fired one behind the right side of Gargiulo to tie the game at 1-1 with 9:30 to go.
-After battles on both ends of the field, the Hounds and Golden Rams headed into an overtime period tied 1-1.
-West Chester took the victory with a goal just over four minutes into overtime by first year Valerie Van Kuijck.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
-Wester Chester outshot Assumption 19-4.
-Gargiulo made 13 saves in the setback and falls to 0-1 on the season.
-Claire Nielsen made one stop in the victory for the Golden Rams and improves to 1-0.
UP NEXT
-Assumption hosts East Stroudsburg University on Sunday, September 5th at 1:00 p.m.
