By Staff Writer Thomas Griffin.
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Field Hockey team played a difficult Little East Conference game against the Fitchburg State Falcons this past Saturday. Entering Falcon territory to play on the road, the Corsairs struggled to score against the juggernaut that is Fitchburg State as they were shut-out 3-0.
The first half started with about five minutes of back-and-forth stalemating, with several unsuccessful shots on goal from both teams. Fitchburg broke open the tie by scoring first, taking an early lead. Falcons freshman, Jordan Bartell scored in the 11th minute of play for her first career goal off a pass by senior Maggie Gallagher. The Corsairs responded with several wide-left shots, unable to put any points on the board within the entire first half.
The Corsairs gave up many penalty corners in the Falcons’ favor throughout the first half, one of which lead to a second Fitchburg State goal. Junior Aislinn DeGorsey netted the goal, putting her shot just within the post to give the Falcons the 2-0 lead. A third Fitchburg goal came soon after, as senior forward Molly Richard put the Corsairs behind 3-0 just a few minutes before the end of the half.
Fitchburg State commanded time of possession during the first half, and UMass Dartmouth looked to buck that trend in the second half. Playing more aggressive and taking the ball, the Corsair offense set sights on the Falcons’ net. The Corsairs put up four second-half shots against the Falcons goal-keeper Abby Bryant, but couldn’t get a single one past her. The Corsairs defense also buckled down in the second half, preventing the Falcons from scoring and giving the team a chance to comeback from their abysmal first half.
The Corsair’s efforts were for nothing though, as the Falcons played just as solid in the second half to prevent the Corsairs from making the comeback. The final is this game would stand as it was heading into the halftime break, 3-0.
With the loss, the Corsairs fall to 2-10 overall and only 1-6 in the conference. The team’s last win came on the road against Johnson and Wales, when the Corsairs kicked off the month of October with a solid 5-1 win.
The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Corsairs field hockey team will return home next to take on the Plymouth State Panthers on Tuesday for a 7 pm matchup on Cressy Field while the Fitchburg State Falcons will head on the road to face Castleton, looking to secure another Little East Conference victory.