GETTYSBURG, Pa. – No. 18 Susquehanna University (5-0) continued its early season surge by striking twice off penalty corners in the first 5:37 and then held off Gettysburg College (4-1) in the second half for a 3-1 victory in non-conference field hockey action at Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium Saturday afternoon.
Final Result
| Teams |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
F |
| #18 Susquehanna (5-0) |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
| Gettysburg (4-1) |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Gettysburg's Top Performers
- Henna Fraiman '22 (Lutherville, Md./Roland Park Country): Goal
- Alex Wenz '25 (Blue Bell, Pa./Gwynedd Mercy Academy): Assist
- Sarah Scott '24 (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North): Defensive Save
- Audrey Ross '24 (Turnersville, N.J./Washington Township): 2 Saves
- Eilene Besselman '22 (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg): 1 Save
Susquehanna's Top Performers
- Annalee Smith: 2 Goals
- Lydia Hidlay: Goal
- Mackenzie Bross: 4 Saves
Game Summary
- First Quarter: Fresh off of cracking the national polls for the first time this season, Susquehanna went on the attack early and forced a penalty corner 21 seconds after the opening whistle. The River Hawks scored not long after as Ashley Schreffler shifted a pass in front of the cage for Smith to hit home at the 33-second mark. Smith made it a 2-0 lead five minutes later, converting on another penalty corner with Rebecca Ripans providing the lead pass. Gettysburg hit back in the final minutes of the frame with Wenz knocking the ball away from a Susquehanna defender and starting a break up the right side. She slipped the past left to Fraiman, who beat the oncoming goalie to her left for her second tally of the season in the 14th minute.
- Second Quarter: Ross knocked away a potential chip shot by Sam Banks in the 20th minute and Bross kept Gettysburg from tying the game with a pair of stops on attempts by Charlotte Lacey '25 (Marriottsville, Md./Mount de Sales Academy) and Emma Bertrando '22 (West Chester, Pa./Henderson) in the 25th minute. Susquehanna made it a 3-1 lead on a goal by Hidlay at 26:52.
- Third Quarter: Schreffler nearly made it a three-goal advantage after tapping the ball out of the air and toward the goal just over a minute into the second half, but Scott managed to get her stick in the way and knock the attempt to the side. Bross picked up another stop in the 38th minute and the Susquehanna defense held firm despite a trio of penalty corners by the Bullets in the final two minutes.
- Fourth Quarter: Bross tallied her final save in the 55th minute. After a pair of penalty corners, Gettysburg nearly sliced the deficit in half as Fraiman knocked a deflection into the cage, but the ball had hit off the body of a player previously so the goal was waved off. The River Hawks stuffed a final penalty corner by the Bullets with 50 seconds to go.
By the Numbers
- Both teams fired off nine shots in the direction of the cage. Gettysburg led in penalty corners 13-2 with nine of those attempts coming in the second half.
- Susquehanna jumped into the national rankings this week after starting the season with four wins, including upsets of No. 14 Christopher Newport (1-0) and No. 5 Salisbury (2-1).
Where the Series Stands Now
Despite the series dating back to 1948, Gettysburg and Susquehanna have only played sparingly over the last seven decades. Saturday's contest was the first between the two institutions since 1994 and it was Susquehanna's first win over Gettysburg in eight tries.
Next Up
Gettysburg kicks off Homecoming Weekend by hosting Bryn Mawr College on Friday, Sept. 24, at 3:30 p.m.
