By: Jennifer Jones
Director of Sports Information
jonesj@juniata.edu • juniatasports.net
HUNTINGDON, Pa. – Juniata College field hockey won its second straight game to start the season Saturday night. The Eagles held off Dickinson College in the final minutes to earn the 2-1 win in Knox Stadium. Juniata improved to 2-0 on the season, while Dickinson moved to 0-1.
"We struggled to find solutions on the field in the first half," said head coach Caroline Gillich. "It's always a deliberation for me whether to take a time out or not to take a time out. But with it being an 0-0 game, I felt at this early in the season, it's a great time for them to try and figure it out."
The game remained scoreless for most of the first half until Juniata jumped on the board in the 24th minute. Sophomore Steph Pagliaro (Duncannon, Pa./Susquenita) forced Dickinson goalie Katy Schlechtweg to commit in the circle, spun past her and found classmate Sara Bilheimer (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) by the nearside post ready to swing.
Bilheimer got a shot off, but Schlechtweg was able to recover and save the attempt. Fellow sophomore Katie Landis (Wyomissing, Pa./Wyomissing) snuck in on the back side and fought for the rebound. She eventually powered it in for her first collegiate goal.
"That was Katie's first goal, so what a way to start," commented Gillich. "She was there and under immense pressure and she was able to find the back of the cage which is tremendous."
Both teams played very even in the first half. The Eagles went into the break up 1-0 having outshot Dickinson 2-1. But each only earned one corner. The offense on both ends of the field would pick up in the second half.
"We saw a huge change in the second half," said Gillich. "Coming out, we had a completely different group. We had a group of people that were finally coming together, working together, and finding solutions and being the solution."
Nine minutes in, Bilheimer and Allison Groft (Hanover, Pa./Southern Western) broke away from the pack up field. Bilheimer took the ball into the circle on the nearside and drew the goalie out. She then sent a perfect cross pass to Groft who tapped it into the left corner of the cage for the gamewinner.
The Red Devils responded in the 60th minute to pull within one. But the Eagle defense kept them out of the circle for the remainder of the game, allowing just one shot after a penalty corner. Juniata earned four of its five saves in the second half and three of them can be attributed to junior Julianne Jones (Middleburg, Pa./Midd-West). Jones, who is splitting time in the cage with junior Shelby Miller (Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) this season, earned her first collegiate start.
"It's going really well," said Gillich of the two goalies alternating field time. "It's actually never happened where we have two strong goalkeepers in the same class. We want to give our kids an opportunity, that's what JCFH is all about. It's about giving opportunities and hoping that they make the most of them. And right now, both of those goalies are doing that and they are supporting each other."
The Eagles hit the road next for three straight games, facing Misericordia (Sept. 6), King's College (Sept. 7), and No. 8 Messiah College (Sept. 11). They return home on Saturday, Sept. 14 to face No. 12 The College of New Jersey.
Follow Your Eagles! Stay up-to-date on your Juniata College Eagles by logging onto www.juniatasports.net. And don't forget to follow us on twitter (@JuniataEagles) and on Facebook (Juniata Eagles).
