Dialog reporter
WILMINGTON – Ashlee Brentlinger and Abigail Boudart scored two goals apiece, while Jill Sherman added another in an explosive second half as Padua shut out Newark Charter, 5-0, in field hockey action Wednesday afternoon at Forbes Field. With the win, the Pandas improved to 8-0 on the season.
Padua controlled possession from the outset, and despite a decided advantage in penalty corners and shots in the first half, the game was scoreless at intermission. That changed 3:25 into the second, when Molly Bobjak sent a shot from outside the scoring circle into the chest protector of Newark Charter goalkeeper Alexandra Narvaez. Brentlinger was on the doorstep and deposited the loose ball into the cage to make it 1-0.
The Pandas continued with the offensive assault throughout the half and had some near misses, including a whip-around shot by Sherman that Narvaez deftly kicked away. Padua enjoyed penalty corners in quick succession, but Narvaez and some skipping balls kept the Patriots in the game.
Two-thirds of the way through the second half, Padua’s relentless offensive pressure finally paid dividends. First, Boudart knocked a ball home after a pass from Abigail McGowan. Two and a half, Sherman grabbed the rebound of a Kathryn Buczik shot and scored. 
Then, in the last few minutes of the contest, Boudart took a nice cross from Brentlinger and tallied her second of the afternoon, and Brentlinger finished the scoring a minute later, with Bobjak collecting the assist.
Padua outshot the Patriots, 18-0, and would have scored several more if not for the outstanding play of Narvaez, who recorded 13 saves. The Pandas had 19 penalty corners to none for Newark Charter. Padua faces a stiff challenge in its next game, traveling to Sanford on Tuesday for a 4 p.m. start. The Warriors are 7-1 but play twice before then. Newark Charter (5-5) looks to end a four-game losing streak Saturday at 11 a.m. at Ursuline.
