HOBOKEN, N.J. (September 12, 2009) – Junior goalkeeper Ellyn Griggs made three jaw-dropping saves and sophomore Mallory Swanson broke a 120-plus minute scoring drought to help lift the Stevens Institute of Technology field hockey team to a solid, 3-0 win over previously unbeaten Kean University on a wet Saturday night at the De Baun Athletic Complex. The win moves Stevens to 3-1 on the season, and the loss drops the Cougars to 4-1.
The first half was back and forth, with each team getting several very strong chances. With 7:30 left, Stevens was able to get off three good shots in front of the net, one by sophomore Jillian Price, and two by Swanson. Kean's junior goalkeeper Lauren Dobbs (Palmyra, N.J.) stopped the first two attempts but was not able to stop the third as Swanson appeared to put in her own rebound for the game's first goal. That however was not the case because the officials ruled that the ball had made contact with the foot of a Stevens player, and the goal was nullified.
Kean's first-half chance was equally as good if not better the Ducks'. With a little more than 1:30 on the clock, the Cougars got two great looks but Griggs made a kick save on the first and then recovered to make a diving stop on the rebound. Seconds later, the Ducks were whistled for a penalty and a penalty stroke was awarded to Kean. Like she did in Stevens' NCAA Tournament win over Wooster, the junior keeper dove to her right to make a remarkable save on the well-placed stroke, sending the two teams into the break with the scored tied 0-0.
Stevens came out well in the second half, controlling the ball and putting the pressure on Kean. The Ducks were able to break through a little more than five minutes in as Swanson ended a gorgeous sequence of passing. Senior midfielder Jessica Ablonczy carried in down the right sideline and fed senior captain Kara Borzillo with a perfect pass into the right side of the circle. Borzillo touched once and angled a precision pass to Swanson who was five yards out on the left of the goal and the sophomore did the rest in giving the Ducks a lead they would not relinquish. It was Swanson's third goal of the season as both Borzillo and Ablonczy were credited with assists on the play.
Just 3:10 later, freshman Marguerite Chavez forced a turnover and fired a shot from 15 yards out for the goal. It was the first of her career and it seemed to deflate Kean.
The final tally of the game came after a stretch in which the Cougars picked up six misconduct fouls and were playing down three players. Price started the play and eventually passed off to sophomore Meghan Broderick. Broderick warded off a defender and then found Borzillo who fired a missile into the lower-right corner for the final margin.
The Stevens defense of seniors Erin Broderick and Elizabeth Zmijewski and freshmen Sam Weisman and Christina Sedberry were strong all game, holding a Kean team that had scored 19 times in four games, scoreless.
The Ducks ended the contest with a 12-10 edge in shots but Kean out-cornered Stevens 13-8. Griggs made six saves on the night to earn the win and her counterpart, Dobbs, stopped five.
Stevens will return to action on Wednesday, September 16 when it visits Montclair State University at 7 p.m.
