Box Score
HOBOKEN, N.J. (September 8, 2012) – Junior forward Marguerite Chavez (Oceanport, N.J.) recorded four goals and dished out one assist for a total of nine points to lead the Stevens Institute of Technology field hockey team to a 6-2 win over new Empire 8 rival Houghton College Saturday at the De Baun Athletic Complex. Her sister, junior forward Rachel Chavez (Oceanport, N.J.), had a goal and one assist as the Ducks improved to 2-2 overall and 1-0 in the conference.
The opening 10 minutes saw each team generate several scoring chances with both goalies making several nice stops to keep things scoreless. The tide turned in the 15th-minute, eventually leading to the first of two first-half goals from Marguerite Chavez. After a penalty corner, sophomore midfielder Jill Fiebel (Roxbury, N.J.) had the ball and passed in front to Chavez on the right post for the score. It was her second goal of the season and Fiebel's third assist.
Stevens kept the pressure on and 3:51 later, in a driving rain, Chavez chased down a loose ball on the right side of the circle and lifted a high-arching shot into the upper-right corner of the cage to give the Ducks a 2-0 advantage.
Stevens ended the opening period with a 15-5 edge in shots and a 4-1 margin in penalty corners. Senior goalie Kaitlin McClymont (Corpus Christi, Texas) made three saves for the Ducks, while her counterpart, senior Hillery Duman (Chaffee, N.Y.) stopped 11 shots.
Though they got the better run of play in the first half, the Ducks turned it up in the second half, dominating the final 35 minutes of action. Rachel Chavez gave Stevens a 3-0 margin 9:48 into the action after a penalty corner. Senior forward Mary Nikish (Pittsford, N.Y.) started the play, received it back from junior Megan Traub (Berkeley Heights, N.J.), tapped to Chavez in front for the goal.
Senior forward Ashley Engle (Manheim, Pa.) got Houghton (1-1, 0-1 Empire 8) on the board, but Rachel Chavez pushed the lead back to three (4-1) at 54:05 thanks to a pass from her sister, Marguerite, on a breakaway. It was her fourth goal of the season.
Engle scored again to make it 4-2 Stevens with 15:44 left, but Marguerite Chavez's third put the game away for the Ducks. On the play, Nikish inserted out to Traub at the top-left of the circle who immediately delivered a precision pass to Chavez on the opposite post. Chavez, positioned perfectly, directed her shot into the upper right for the marker – her fourth of the year.
Nikish added a penalty stroke for her fourth goal of the season, accounting for the final margin.
The Ducks ended with a 25-7 margin in shots and a 13-3 edge in corners. McClymont finished with three saves, while Duman stopped 15 shots for the Highlanders.
The matchup was the first ever for Stevens and Houghton – the Highlanders joined the Empire 8 for the 2012-13 athletic year.
Stevens will head to Wesley College for a non-conference game Sunday afternoon. Game time is slated for 2 p.m.
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