RICHMOND, Va. -- The No. 21 Old Dominion field hockey team extended its season-opening winning streak to five on Friday with a 2-1 victory over Richmond at Crenshaw Field.
On a scorching 90-degree day in Richmond, Old Dominion (5-0) overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit with a pair of second-half goals from Merle Knobloch and Rebecca Birch.
"One thing we did much better in the second half was using the endline to attack," said head coach Andrew Griffiths. "In the first half, we attacked up the middle and we got some shots, but their goalkeeper did well and we didn't move her very much. That was a big change."
The Monarchs dominated the statsheet, outshooting the Spiders, 19-2. ODU also held an 11-2 advantage in corners.
Richmond (1-4) took the early lead with a goal from Olivia Hubert in the 16th minute. The Spiders carried the 1-0 lead into the half, despite the Monarchs outshooting Richmond, 10-1, in the first half.
Just over two minutes into the second half, Kristen Vick found Knobloch with a cross in front of goal and Knobloch knocked it home to tie the game. The goal was the German freshman's first of her career.
Then in the 62nd minute, Birch fired in a shot off of a play on a penalty corner that deflected off of a Richmond defender's stick and into the goal. Erin Huffman picked up the assist.
In goal, Lacey Frazier played the full 70 minutes for ODU, improving to 2-0 on the season.
"The word resilience, I really love it for our team," said Griffiths. "It was one of those games where you could get frustrated. It's a great feeling to see the team lift each other up and work together and be resilient together."
Four of ODU's five victories this season have come on the road. The Monarchs are also now 3-0 against schools from Virginia.
Up next, the Monarchs face a big test at No. 8 Virginia on Sunday in Charlottesville. Game time is set for 1 p.m. ET on WatchESPN.
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