Aug. 28, 2005
NORFOLK, Va. -- American's Camila Infante scored all three of the Eagles' goals to lift her team to a 3-2 victory of the Lady Monarch field hockey team on Sunday afternoon at Foreman Field.
The loss dropped Old Dominion to 1-1, while American upped its mark to 2-0 on the young season.
The game started 10 minutes late due to a delay with the Eagles arriving at Foreman Field. However the short warm-up time did not have any effect on the team as American was first to strike. Infante scored her first tally 14 minutes into the contest among a scramble toward the center-left side of the cage. Old Dominion responded though a mere four minutes later to tie the game at 1-1. Senior Janelle Engle (Mt. Joy, Pa.) fired away on the Eagle net on a penalty corner attempt, but her shot was saved by American goalkeeper Allison Fayfich. The ball bounced to the stick of newcomer Denise Admiraal (Heillo, Holland) who reached the back of the net.
Less than ten minutes into the second half, Old Dominion took the lead. In front of the Eagle cage, the Lady Monarchs were looking to get past the pesky American defense. Senior Darcy Pinchbeck (Suffolk, Va.) managed to find opening for a shot, but the ball was once again saved by Fayfich. However this time, Pinchbeck's high school teammate Katelyn Smither (Suffolk, Va.) caught the rebound to give the Lady Monarchs the 2-1 edge with 27:04 left in the game.
American managed to tie the game with 16:35 remaining. Infante, off a rebound, notched her second goal of the afternoon, bringing the score to 2-2.
The Eagles looked to take the lead with 10 minutes left as Irene Schickhardt broke wide open into the circle. Old Dominion keeper Mary Cate Gordon (Oreland, Pa.) came out of net and got a piece of the ball, but Infante managed to control the ball for a wide open shot on the Lady Monarch net. Flying in from the right side of the cage, junior Caroline Nichols (Va. Beach, Va.) batted the ball away from the net giving the Lady Monarchs some more opportunity to take back the lead.
However, it would be the Eagles who would take the lead and eventually the game. On their lone penalty corner of the afternoon, Infante, on the option, fired off the game-winner as 8:04 remained in the game. Schickhardt and Heather Maranzano contributed on the insert and stick stop respectively.
The Eagles outshot the Lady Monarchs 12-8, while Old Dominion managed five penalty corner attempts to American's one. In the cage, both ODU's Gordon and American's Fayfich collected six saves.
The Lady Monarch field hockey team returns to action at home next weekend. Old Dominion hosts ACC rivals Virginia on Saturday, September 3rd and Maryland on Sunday, September 4th. Both games will begin at 1:00 p.m. at Foreman Field.