GLASSBORO, N.J. – The Ursinus College field hockey team began a daunting early-season stretch in impressive fashion Thursday night, rolling to a 3-0 victory at 17th-ranked Rowan in the 2016 opener. Three different players scored for the fourth-ranked Bears, who won their sixth consecutive season opener.
The Bears' senior class did all the damage in the first of three consecutive clashes with nationally ranked foes. Colleen Leahy scored and captains Ann Kopera and Amber Steigerwalt bookended intermission with markers of their own, the last on an assist from fellow fourth-year Aliki Torrence, as Ursinus stretched its winning streak over the Profs to five.
Sophomore Jules Singer was rock solid in her first career start, making six saves to post her third shutout and keep the Bears in control in a game where they held the slimmest of advantages in shots (10-9) and penalty corners (8-7).
Leahy staked Ursinus to a quick lead with an unassisted strike from the right side of the cage, putting the visitors in front just 8:34 into the contest. Singer stopped three shots and got some help from the post before Kopera cashed in on a penalty stroke to double the Bears' lead with just 1:15 to play before half.
Steigerwalt put the contest away less than five minutes after the break, converting a feed from Torrence in front of the cage to give her classmate the first assist of her career. Singer collected three more saves in the final ten minutes before the clock ran out on a strong debut for the three-time defending Centennial Conference champions. The Bears have won five straight in Glassboro, but the previous four had all been one-goal games.
Steigerwalt orchestrated the Ursinus arsenal with four shots, all of them on goal, and Leahy added three of her own. Rachel Galante and Jacqui Rosati each put two attempts on cage for Rowan, but Singer was there to turn them away each time.
Thursday's contest was the first of seven against nationally ranked opponents for Ursinus. The Bears get another big test on Saturday, when they welcome No. 6 William Smith to Eleanor Frost Snell Field for their home opener. Game time is slated for noon.