MADISON, N.J. - The Juniata field hockey team was on the wrong end of a 2-1 scoreline against Drew on Saturday afternoon in a game that saw all scoring in the final quarter of play.
The first quarter was controlled by the Rangers, who totaled five shots in the first fifteen minutes. Drew made its strongest push of the quarter between the fifth and seventh minute, as Drew tallied a blocked shot, a shot wide and left, two shots on goal that were saved by Brittney McMullen, and three penalty corners, all within a couple of minutes. Juniata earned two penalty corners in the ninth minute, but they were unable to produce a shot. Drew missed wide on a shot in the last seconds to send the game scoreless into the second quarter.
The second quarter was light on scoring chances, with Drew putting shots on goal in the 17th, 24th, and 28th minutes, all for saves from McMullen.
The Eagles began to find momentum in the third quarter, keeping the ball in the Drew end for much of the first five minutes. In that time, the Eagles shot three times, including a shot from Brooke Franke from 10 yards out that was saved by the Drew goalkeeper and shots from Kalee Rothermel and Kaylyn Walters that were blocked by the Rangers' defense.
Drew didn't convert off two penalty corners and a shot on goal in the middle of the third quarter. Juniata rounded out the third with a Rothermel shot from 15 yards out off a penalty corner that was saved by the Drew goalkeeper.
Juniata drew a penalty corner in the 50th minute of play, but Sydney Witter's deflected shot was snatched by the Drew goalkeeper. Drew found the goal just two minutes later, as a far cross from the right met an unmarked Ranger player who tapped the ball into the top left corner from a couple of yards out as McMullen shuffled across the goal. Drew looked to pad its lead with two more shots in the next two minutes of play. Drew found their second goal in the 56th minute, as the Juniata defense was unable to clear a loose ball from a cross that was pounced on by a Ranger play and put into the right corner.
The Eagles denied a Drew shutout via a Skyler Stevens goal and Kacie Leight assist with only seven seconds remaining. Leight initiated the shot off a penalty corner from ten yards out, and Stevens's touch of the ball in front of goal lifted the ball over the Drew keeper for her second goal of 2022.
Juniata was outshot 13 to seven, and Drew put nine shots on goal versus the Eagles' six. Witter and Rothermel each shot twice, while McMullen made seven saves across the hour of play.
The Eagles swiftly set sights on a trip to Wilson on Sunday afternoon, where the action begins at 1:00 pm. The Eagles are undefeated in four meetings against the Phoenix between 1981 and 1994.
