Fourth-Quarter Surge Lifts Spiders to 2-1 Win at UMass

Sunday, September 29

Amherst, MA

12PM

University of Richmond

(6-4, 2-1 A-10)

UMass

(3-6, 1-2 A-10)

Richmond

Massachusetts

Fourth-Quarter Surge Lifts Spiders to 2-1 Win at UMass

09/29/2019 | Field Hockey

Box Score

AMHERST, Mass. – Sophomore defender Steffie Bongers scored off a penalty corner just under four minutes into the fourth quarter and the Spider defense held on through the closing minutes as the University of Richmond field hockey team downed Atlantic 10 rival UMass on Sunday afternoon, 2-1.

With the win, the Spiders move to 2-1 in A-10 play and have defeated two of the three teams picked ahead of them in the conference preseason poll.

The Spiders jumped out to an early lead when senior forward Elise Zwicklbauer found herself open in the middle of a circle and sent a reverse shot past the goalkeeper for her team-leading sixth goal of the year.

The Minutewomen responded quickly, scoring on their first shot of the day off a deflection from a long pass to tie the game midway through the opening quarter. Neither team managed a shot through the remainder of the first period.

After an eventful opening 15 minutes, the two teams combined for just two shots in the second period and headed into halftime tied at 1-1.

The third quarter saw more offensive pressure from both sides, as each team took three shots, but neither team managed a goal. The fourth quarter was just as eventful, but this time the Spiders managed to capitalize as Bongers received a pass from Zwicklbauer off a penalty corner and sent a hard-sweeping shot past the UMass goalkeeper for a 2-1 lead.

The Minutewomen pulled their goalie with just over six minutes remaining in the game and elected to sub in an extra attacker, but the Richmond defense stood strong, allowing just one shot in the closing minutes which was saved by Frankie-Lynne Conklin.

The Spiders outshot UMass 12-6 and held a 7-3 advantage in penalty corners. Conklin finished with four saves in cage.

Richmond is now set to return to Crenshaw Field on Friday, October 4, for a nonconference matchup against nationally-ranked Delaware. Game time is set for 3 p.m.