COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The Ursinus College fieled hockey team got its Centennial Conference schedule off to a quick start, topping McDaniel 4-0 on homecoming Saturday.
The Bears' league victory was jump-started by sophomore Gemma Dufoe, who tipped in a shot by classmate Erin Saybolt for a quick strike just 1:20 into the match.
Less than six minutes later, senior Brooke Overly followed suit, blasting home her own rebound to make it 2-0.
The Bears (3-2, 1-0) were dominant on the offensive end, constantly peppering the opposing goalie with shots. Ursinus fired 36 shots in the matchup, with 19 on target, and owned a 22-1 advantage in penalty corners. Thirteen different Bears were able to get at least one shot off.
The defense played just as well as the offense, allowing just four shots. Junior Jules Singer and freshman Addie Frey split the shutout in net.
Scoring off a rebound became a trend for Ursinus, as its final two scores also came in that fashion. Sophomore Abbie Roberts scored her first career goal late in the first half, following up a shot by Saybolt to cap the first-half offense. The goal was added excitement for Roberts, who also tallied her first career start. She's had a knack for finding scoring chances lately, taking a pair of shots on Saturday to follow up her five-shot effort in Wednesday's 2-0 win over Elizabethtown.
Junior Maria DiCioccio continued the theme with a goal 19 minutes into the second half, tapping in a rebound after a shot by freshman Mary Margaret Baldy. It was DiCioccio's first goal of the season, in just her second appearance on the year.
Freshmen Zia Cooper and Baldy joined Frey in making their collegiate debuts in the matchup. Baldy fired a pair of shots, while Cooper recorded one.
Saybolt racked up nine shots for the Bears, which got five from freshman Devon Carroll, four from Overly, and three apiece off the stick of sophomore Anna Hall and first-year Gabriela Howell.
The victory is the Bears' 10th conference win in a row, dating back to last season.
Ursinus looks to continue that streak against Swarthmore on Wednesday. The Bears will be back in action before then, though, as they take on West Chester on Sunday in the Snell Cup.
