COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The Ursinus College field hockey team justified its big jump in the national rankings with a convincing 5-1 victory over visiting Elizabethtown on Wednesday night.
Jamie Mayer scored a pair of goals and assisted on another and Laura Rothschild added the first of her collegiate career as the No. 13 Bears (3-1) won their third straight game just two days after ascending six spots in the NFHCA poll. Brianne Nicholas opened the scoring and Gemma Dufoe found the back of the cage for the fourth time in as many games.
It took all of 50 seconds for Ursinus to grab a lead, Nicholas pumping in a shot from the center of the circle after an initial effort from a corner was parried away by the Blue Jays keeper.
The score stayed there until midway through the second period, when Mayer sent a chip shot hurtling into the top right corner of the cage to make it 2-0.
About two minutes later, a lightning show began over Collegeville, and the game was delayed for close to 90 minutes before the teams were able to retake the field. Elizabethtown (1-4) took advantage of the break, scoring with 3:29 to go in the period to trim the margin to 2-1 heading into halftime.
Awoken by the visitors' goal, the Bears responded in the second half. Rothschild restored a two-goal lead with 8:10 to go in the third, taking a pass from Mayer in transition and dribbling her way down the left side before firing a perfectly angled shot into the lower right corner to open her collegiate account.
Ursinus tacked on two more goals in the fourth quarter, as Dufoe and Mayer got on the scoresheet just 50 seconds apart. Anna Hall sent a long pass from midfield on to the stick of Dufoe, who then ripped a laser of a shot into the lower left corner. Less than a minute later, Mayer deposited a loose ball for her second of the night.
The Bears held an 18-10 advantage in shots and a 7-6 edge in corners. Addie Frey made four saves to earn the victory.
Ursinus is back in action Sunday, when the Bears head to Washington and Lee for a non-conference clash.