CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – #18 Old Dominion field hockey downed Penn, 3-0, on Sunday morning at the Karen Shelton Stadium in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
“I’m really pleased to come home with a win against a good Penn team,” head coach Andrew Griffiths said. “However, it was definitely a game of two completely different halves. 10 a.m. is a much earlier game time than usual and we did not play ODU hockey. Our defending was sloppy, and we gave away possession repeatedly and carelessly. After the halftime break, we played like a different team. We moved the ball well, and we were much more fluid with our attacking play, moving the ball more confidently around the field and creating chances.”
The first quarter was a battle of corners, with both Penn (0-2) and Old Dominion (3-1) collecting two before Serena Langendoen put one in off a corner 50 seconds before the buzzer rang. The second quarter was quiet from both sides, though Penn earned three more corners before halftime as ODU held on to its 1-0 lead.
Lotte Haagmans opened the third quarter with a goal just three minutes into play. Six minutes later, Isabella DeCesaris scored off a corner with help from Langendoen. ODU would collect one more corner before heading into the final quarter up 3-0.
ODU’s defense put away Penn in the fourth quarter, allowing just one shot and corner before time ran out, awarding the Monarchs with a 3-0 victory.
Penn outshot ODU, 15-13 and was awarded nine corners to Old Dominion’s six, though the Monarchs collected nine shots on goal in comparison to the Quaker’s three.
Langendoen, Haagmans, and DeCesaris led the team in goals with one each, while Langendoen tied with Madison Zalewski and Avery Jackson in assists with one. Langendoen also had a team-high four shots.
Goalkeeper Suus Broers accounted for three saves in her second shutout of the 2026 season.
“We had 3 different goalscorers. Suus was strong in goal, and our defensive corner unit was our team highlight in my eyes,” Griffiths added. “In the end, we are going to have tough patches in games, and it’s a good sign when we can play less than our best, and still find a way to win.”
UP NEXT
Old Dominion returns to Chapel Hill to take on #10 North Carolina on Friday Sept. 11 at 5 p.m.