HOBOKEN, N.J. (October 30, 2010) – The Stevens Institute of Technology field hockey team fell 1-0 to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (5-12) on Saturday night at the De Baun Athletic Complex in Hoboken, N.J. With the loss, the Ducks end the regular season with a record of 8-10. However, because Empire 8 rival Washington & Jefferson College defeated Utica College on Saturday afternoon, Stevens will host the 2010 Empire 8 Championship next Saturday and Sunday.
The first half was slow moving as neither team was able to assert itself in the early going on the offensive end of the field. Late in the half, RPI began to apply some pressure and eventually broke through. Moments after Duck goalkeeper Ellyn Griggs made two saves diving to her right to keep the game scoreless, sophomore Alissa Peterson (Gaithersburg, Md.) snuck a shot inside the right post after an Engineer penalty corner.
RPI went into the break with a 1-0 lead as the Engineers outshot Stevens, 13-4, in the opening stanza and took four penalty corners compared to two for the Ducks.
Stevens came out strong in the second half, generating numerous penalty corners and chances. With a little under 33 minutes to play, sophomore Mary Nikish angled into the circle on a counter-attack and her shot across the mouth of the goal sailed just wide. Freshman Caitlin Chamberlain did not give up on the play but was just a bit late in her bid to deflect Nikish's attempt into the goal.
The Ducks generated another great chance with 24:44 left when sophomore Samantha Weisman received a pass after a penalty corner and rifled a shot that missed by just inches wide.
RPI switched the field and the Ducks had trouble clearing the zone for the next 15-plus minutes of play. Stevens generated a pair of corners around the three-minute mark but was unable to create a strong scoring chance in either instance.
RPI ended with a 17-11 advantage in shots but the Ducks ended with a 9-5 edge in corners. Stevens out-cornered the Engineers, 7-1 in the second half.
Despite taking the loss, Griggs was once again solid in goal the Ducks, making 10 saves. Junior Briana Earle (Baldwinsville, N.Y.) stopped three shots for the Engineers.
Stevens will return to action next Saturday in the Empire 8 Championship semifinals. The Ducks are the top seed in the tournament and will host Nazareth College on Saturday afternoon. Washington & Jefferson and Utica will play in the other semifinal with the winners of each game meeting for the championship on Sunday at the De Baun Athletic Complex. Visit StevensDucks.com Monday for more information the tournament.
