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Field Hockey Takes BIG EAST Opener over Temple, 3-2 in Shootout

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Keith Lucas


NORFOLK, Va. – The Old Dominion field hockey team (1-1, 1-0 BIG EAST) showcased its character in a 3-2 shootout victory over Temple (1-1, 0-1) in the BIG EAST opener for both teams. The Monarchs went ahead twice in the match before eventually prevailing in the shootout at the L.R. Hill Sports Complex

"We would've liked to finish it a lot earlier than we did," head coach Andrew Griffiths said. "The thing I was proud of in the end was our team found a way to stay in it. Temple played hard and played well. It affected us at points in the game, and we let it impact the way we played."

Cam MacGillivray made a dramatic stop from the penalty spot in the final round of the shootout to give ODU the victory. After committing an infraction on the initial attempt, MacGillivray denied Cassie Romanczuk from seven yards out with a terrific blocker save. Marlon de Bruijne converted the would-be decisive attempt in the previous round.
 
A freshman from Den Bosch, Netherlands, de Bruijne scored both goals for ODU. She accounted for six shot attempts, hitting the target each time.
 
The Monarchs enjoyed a swift start to the game and led for nearly all the first half. Inside of two minutes, Old Dominion earned a penalty corner and executed its routine flawlessly. Riley Taylor picked out Marlee McClendon, who teed up the ball for de Bruijne. The Dutch forward ripped a shot into the lower left corner, beating Owls goalkeeper Cristina Carotenuto.
 
ODU kept its grip on the game throughout the first quarter and limited Temple to a lone shot, a blocked attempt in the 10th minute. The Owls tested MacGillivray for the first time in the 18th minute, but TU did not muster another chance for the remainder of the half.
 
Temple's breakthrough moment came in the 43rd minute with a penalty corner and a goal. Dani Batze, a member of the Preseason All-BIG EAST team, buried the equalizer with assists from Claire Thomas and Veronika Novakova. The Monarchs earned a penalty corner of their own just one minute later, but Delphine Le Jeune's attempt was blocked by the Owls.
 
The Monarchs needed only 90 seconds to retake the lead in the fourth quarter. With another penalty corner, ODU found success yet again. As was the case in the first quarter, Taylor and McClendon combined to set up de Bruijne. Whereas her first goal of the game was a powerful strike, de Bruijne's second came by way of a deflected ball that looped over Carotenuto and into the goal.
 
ODU's advantage was short lived as the Owls tied the score 84 seconds later. Following a scramble off a penalty corner, Novakova found herself alone at the back post for the tap in.
 
The Monarchs pressed for a winner in regulation and appeared destined to win it late in regulation. ODU had four shots in the last eight minutes of the fourth quarter, drawing a pair of saves from Carotenuto, and was awarded two more penalty corners.
 
"The last quarter and in the overtimes we did well and stayed together," Griffiths said. "We're a young team and are trying to evolve our personality. It was nice to see us being resilient enough to finish it off under pressure."
 
Both sides registered a shot on target in the first overtime. MacGillivray denied Batze less than a minute into the period. De Bruijne tested Carotenuto near the midway point of frame and had a second stellar opportunity to score when Taylor played her in to a one-on-one situation with the goalkeeper. Facing a charging Carotenuto, de Bruijne could not release the ball in time.
 
MacGillivray came up large yet again in the second overtime, recording a save in a similar one-on-one situation.
 
A redshirt junior from Calgary, Alberta, MacGillivray made four saves across 80 minutes of action. Fellow upperclassmen Taylor and McClendon registered a pair of assists apiece. 
 
"We don't have a lot of upperclassmen out there, so we really lean on players like Riley Taylor, Marlee McClendon and Cam MacGillivray," Griffiths said. "Fortunately, they have really strong character. From a team standpoint, there were a lot of contributions from a lot of players, which is nice to see."
 
Novakova led the Owls with one goal and one assist. Carotenuto made five stops for TU.
 
The two sides meet again tomorrow at 4 p.m.

MONARCH FAN CUTOUTS
Due to popular demand, the Old Dominion University Athletics Department has made Monarch Fan Cutouts available for field hockey and women's lacrosse.

The "Monarch Cutouts", presented by Chartway, are available for $59. Monarch Cutouts purchased for ODU field hockey will be placed in a highly visible area of the L.R. Hill Sports Complex and will stay up throughout the spring, for the entirety of the ODU field hockey and women's lacrosse seasons. Photos of the fan cutouts will be posted on social media throughout the season.

Click here to purchase a cutout.