Box Score
GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Allie Califano scored with 23 seconds left and Muhlenberg edged the Gettysburg College field hockey team 3-2 in a key Centennial Conference (CC) match-up Friday afternoon at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium.
Muhlenberg (6-7, 5-3 CC), which snapped Gettysburg's five-game winning streak, remained in fourth place in the conference standings with the win. The Bullets (8-5, 3-4 CC) are now tied with Johns Hopkins for sixth place with three conference games remaining.
Moments after senior goalie
Alexis Bralow (Philadelphia, Pa./Harriton) swatted down a lifted shot at eye level, the Mules earned a corner with less than 50 seconds left. Kayleigh Thies then accepted a pass from Rachel Strow before dribbling into the circle and dishing off to Califano, who one-timed a shot into the right side of the cage.
The Mules held a slight 16-15 edge in shots, but only five were on goal, compared to 12 by Gettysburg. Sierra Lenker made 10 saves for Muhlenberg while Bralow stopped two shots for the Bullets.
Gettysburg jumped to an early 1-0 lead when senior
Kelly Spieker (Westminster, Md./Winters Mill) collected a rebound off the pads of Lenker and punched in a shot from the right post just 2:11 into contest for her sixth goal of the season.
The Mules answered quickly, when Mariah Alston ripped a shot from the right elbow that deflected high and into the upper left corner of the cage, making it 1-1 with 31:04 on the clock.
The Bullets reclaimed the lead with 19:34 to go in the opening period. Freshman
Hannah Fitzgerald (Larchmont, N.Y./Mamaroneck) brought the ball down the right side of the field on a breakaway before delivering a cross to senior
Ashleigh Guise (Biglerville, Pa./Biglerville) on the left post. Guise sent a one-timer into the back of the cage for her fourth goal of the season, and it would remain a 2-1 game until halftime.
Muhlenberg answered once again with 23:21 remaining. From the left post, Christine Germaske tipped in a blast off the stick of Thies to make it 2-2, setting up Carifano's game-winner.
Gettysburg returns to action on Wednesday, when it visits fifth-ranked Franklin & Marshall starting at 7 p.m.
