BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Juniata field team opened the scoring against Moravian before falling 4-1 to the Greyhounds on Friday night.
The Eagles pressed early to force three penalty corners before earning a penalty stroke in the fourth minute. Kalee Rothermel was tasked with taking the penalty, and she beat the keeper to the right to open the scoring. Juniata continued pressuring the Greyhounds defense with shots from Miranda Madara in the eighth and 11th minutes. Moravian soon turned the momentum with a pair of shots and a penalty corner preceding a goal in the 14th minute to level the score.
Moravian continued to press the Eagles defense in the opening moments of the second quarter. The Greyhounds forced a save from Brittney McMullen before finding the net in the 21st minute to take control of the game. Scoring chances were rare in the middle stages of the second quarter, as Moravian and Juniata would not register another shot until the final minute of play. Colleen Creneti's shot on goal in the 30th minute was blocked, and Moravian forced McMullen to make another save to send the Greyhounds into halftime with a one-goal advantage.
Juniata opened the third quarter with an onslaught of scoring chances, as the Eagles registered four penalty corners and two shots on goal from Tess Ledeboer and Rothermel in the first four minutes. Moravian shots in the 35th and 40th minutes were blocked by the defense before scoring in the 42nd minute to cushion the lead. Madara put a shot on goal in the 44th minute to force a Moravian save.
Neither team fired a shot in the fourth quarter until the 56th minute. Moravian registered three shots on target to force two saves from McMullen before breaking through with a fourth goal in the 58th minute to end the game at 4-1.
The Greyhounds outshot the Eagles by a 14-8 margin. While Juniata was outshot, they were more efficient in putting shots on target as they tallied six shots on goal to Moravian's five.
McMullen made six saves and sported a .600 save percentage in-game.
Rothermel and Madara each had three shots, with Rothermel putting all three on target.
The Juniata field hockey team plays nonconference opponent Arcadia on Monday, September 26, in Glenside. Juniata has played the Knights on one occasion, as the Eagles defeated Arcadia 6-0 to open the 2008 season.
