Fitchburg State Holds Off Anna Maria, 1-0
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Fitchburg St. (10-4) | 0 | 1 | 1 |
|
Anna Maria (7-10) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Conway earns first collegiate victory for Falcons in non-conference win
PAXTON, Mass. – Fitchburg State sophomore forward Molly Richard netted the game-winning marker at the 42:30 mark as the Falcons defeated Anna Maria, 1-0 in non-conference field hockey action at AMCAT field this afternoon.
With that goal, Richard now has 27 career markers, surpassing former Falcon Erika Oliver '95 for seventh on the program's all-time leading goals scored list.
In the first half of play, Fitchburg State nearly took the lead eight minutes into the contest as Richard and senior Erin Morrissey put back-to-back shots on target, but Amcats keeper Bryanna Tobin turned away both shots to preserve the 0-0 stalemate.
Anna Maria's best scoring opportunity of the opening stanza occurred at the 11:03 mark when senior midfielder Kaitlyn Moran's shot when just wide of the near post as the game went into the half with the score locked at 0-0.
Following the break, the Falcons broke the scoreless draw in the 43rd minute of play as Richard collected a feed from junior forward Casey Noonan and tucked the ball inside the far post for her team-leading 15th goal of the season for the 1-0 advantage.
The Falcons nearly doubled their lead late in the contest when senior midfielder Nicole Fors and classmate Madeline Hoffman had pair of quality scoring chances, but Tobin was up to task, making both saves, resulting in the 1-0 final.
Throughout the game, Fitchburg State finished with a 14-4 margin in shots, while also holding an 11-7 edge in penalty corners. In the cage, junior Jordyn Conway made two saves for the Falcons en-route to her first collegiate win, while Tobin turned away eight shots for the Amcats in 70 minutes of work.
Fitchburg State (10-4, 6-4 LEC) returns to action on Thursday as it hosts the Spartans of Castleton State for a contest starting at 6 p.m. Anna Maria (7-10, 2-3 GNAC) will travel to Mount Ida on Friday for a 7 p.m. start.