POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. (August 30, 2019) - Sophomore Emily Franco recorded a career-high 15 saves, but it was not enough as the Stevens Institute of Technology field hockey team fell 3-0 in their season opener against No. 8 Vassar College in the opening game of the Betty Richey Tournament Friday at Weinberg Turf Field.

The Brewers scored single goals from Nikki Rizzo, Heidi Zahnleuter and Sam Kass in the first, second and fourth quarters, respectively to grab the victory. The defending Liberty League champions moved to 1-0 on the young campaign, while Stevens fell to 0-1.

Franco, a native of West Chester, Pennsylvania, played all 60 minutes in the cage and was able to turn away 15 of Vassar's 18 attempts on goal, including 11 in the first half.

Trailing 2-0 at halftime, the Ducks came out of the break firing, taking a total of seven shots, six of which were on goal, and earned three penalty corners in the third quarter. It was all for naught, however, as the Ducks were unable to solve Liz Rotolo, who made six saves to post the shutout victory.

Turning Point

• Trailing by two in the final seconds of the third period, Stevens earned three consecutive penalty corners over a five-second sequence.
• Juniors Allison Buffenbarger and Jaymie Fiebel, along with senior Michaela Thompson all had shots on goal in the sequence. Stevens took six shots total, but were unable to trim the deficit.

Inside the Numbers

• The Brewers out-shot the Ducks 22-7 and held an 18-6 advantage in shots on goal.
• Vassar was also able to take advantage of a 13-3 edge in penalty corners, scoring their second goal off the set piece.
• Jaymie Fiebel led Stevens by registering three total shots to tie a career-high.
• Stevens held a 15-6 advantage in saves.
• Buffenbarger, Thompson and sophomore Ellie Jenkins each registered a shot on goal.

Unsung Hero

• Coming off the bench, Fiebel led the Ducks with three total shots. The junior from Roxbury, N.J. also tied for the team lead with two shots on goal in just 31 minutes of game action.

From the Sidelines (Head Coach Meredith Spencer-Blaetz)

• "Today's outcome is certainly not what we hope for, but it gave us a groundwork on things to work on moving forward."
• "With a lot of new faces and people in new positions, we will look to settle into our game starting tomorrow."

Up Next

• Stevens will remain in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. to play one more contest in the Betty Richey Tournament as they take on Marywood University in the consolation game at 11:30 a.m. 
• It is believed to be the first-ever matchup between the Ducks and the Pacers.
• Live stats and video links will be available on StevensDucks.com

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