Dialog reporter
WILMINGTON – Padua and Ursuline had to wait almost the entire season to meet on the field hockey pitch thanks to a rainout earlier this month. When they finally got together on Oct. 23, the Pandas had a slight edge, taking a 2-0 win at Serviam Field.
Katie Buczik and Ashlee Brentlinger scored for Padua, which improved to 10-1. The Pandas are ranked second in Division I by 302Sports.com.
Padua came out with a pressuring offense, earning four penalty corners within a three-minute span in the first 10 minutes of the contest. They were unable to get a quality shot until the fourth one, when Ursuline’s Jane Lyons stopped the ball along the goal line.
Padua would pick up four more corners before the first half ended, and they finally converted on the last one. Off the inbounds pass, the ball was sent toward the cage, where it was batted around for a few seconds. Buczik scooped up a loose ball and knocked it in at the 9:41 mark, making it 1-0. That would be the score at the half.
Ursuline, the No. 4 team in Division II, had an early opportunity in the second. Noelle Shroyer intercepted a Pandas pass and sent it to Teddie Elliman, whose shot got to the doorstep in front of Pandas keeper Shannon McCormac, but the Raiders could not finish.
A short time later, it was the Pandas on the offensive. After a penalty corner, Kathleen Melia fired a long shot from the left of Raiders keeper Cleo Troy, and it was deflected on the way by Brentlinger with 15:08 to go.
Ursuline appeared to have cut the lead in half with approximately three minutes remaining. McCormac knocked down a shot off a penalty corner with her blocker, and the Raiders’ Kelsey Olmstead was there for the put back, but the goal was disallowed after the officials discussed the play.
The Pandas had seven shots to the Raiders’ five, and each team had 10 penalty corners. Padua takes on St. Elizabeth on Thursday at 3:45 p.m. at Hockessin Montessori School. Ursuline (9-3) hosts St. Mark’s, also on Thursday at 3:45.
Padua and Ursuline will meet again Sunday at 2 p.m. at Rullo Stadium at the University of Delaware as part of the annual Turf Bowl.
