By: Jennifer Jones
Director of Sports Information
jonesj@juniata.edu • juniatasports.net
Photo: JD Cavrich
DOYLESTOWN, Pa. – The Juniata College field hockey team scored two goals late in the second half to push past Delaware Valley College 3-1 Saturday afternoon. Juniata has outscored the Aggies 12-2 in their last four meetings. The Eagles are now 4-4 overall, while Delaware Valley dropped to 5-3 on the year.
"Definitely a great team effort," said head coach Caroline Gillich. "We mixed it up a little bit in today's game, which helps to generate different offensive opportunities and create goals with assists. That was really our goal. We wanted to score, but we really wanted to set up those opportunities."
All three goals were scored and assisted by different Eagle combos. Juniata outshot the Aggies 12-10, 10-7 on-goal.
The Eagles opened scoring just before the half on a 2-on-1 breakaway opportunity. Sophomore Sarah Bilheimer (Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom) took off up the field with senior Liz Slimak (Elizabethtown, Pa./Lower Dauphin). Bilheimer sent a pass to Slimak who drew a defender in before passing it back to Bilheimer. The midfielder then redirected the ball into the back of the cage for her fourth goal of the year.
"It was so intense, the amount of speed we had going into that first goal," said Gillich. "It was tremendous. Liz off the bench was the best she's been all year. She did a great job of possessing the ball and stretching the field out and creating opportunities for her teammates."
Delaware Valley scored the equalizer in the 42nd minute. Their leading scorer, Taylor Prichett, turned on a pass from Maddie Raville and scored her 10th goal of the year from the middle of the circle.
The game remained tied for 15 minutes before the Eagles responded.
Freshman Sara Spencer (Florence, N.J./Florence Township Memorial) made the most of her collegiate debut. In her first minute on the field, Spencer carried the ball into the circle and fired a shot that keeper Sandra Edwards had to deflect up and over the cage. It forced a corner and Juniata took advantage.
Sophomore Steph Pagliaro (Duncannon, Pa./Susquenita) earned her second career game winner by deflecting a shot from fellow sophomore Alex Stroud (Ellicott City, Md./Centennial) in front of the cage. The Eagle defense would shut Delaware Valley down for the remainder of the contest, but Juniata collected an insurance goal just to put it away.
Junior Mikaela Sloan (State College, Pa./State College) found senior Emma Dahmus (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) in the middle of a scramble by the cage and Dahmus punched it in with less than four minutes to play. The strike was her fifth of the season. She currently leads the team in goals and is tied for the lead in points with Bilheimer at 11.
Juniata returns home after two games on the road to face Bridgewater and former Eagle Allyson Kenyon ('00) on Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 4:30 p.m.
"Ally Kenyon, the head coach of Bridgewater, played for me and was in Danny Young's class," said Gillich.
Kenyon and Bridgewater are 4-2 this season after snapping a two-game losing streak with a win against Wilson on Friday. Juniata leads the all-time series 4-2 since the programs first met in 1992 and have won the last three meetings, but outscoring Bridgewater 11-1. Kenyon is 1-4 all-time against her alma mater.
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