WEST HAVEN, Conn. – Sophomore
Alexis Rider (Delran, N.J./Delran) scored two goals to help power the New Haven field hockey team to a 4-2 victory over Molloy on Wednesday at DellaCamera Stadium. The four goals scored by the Chargers are the most in a single game in the three-year history of the program, and marks the first time the Chargers have won a game by more than one goal. New Haven outshot the Lions 18-5 overall and held a 10-4 edge in shots on goal. Sophomore
Julia Battino (Haddonfield, N.J./Haddonfield Memorial) also scored for the Chargers, freshman
Katie Durkee (Salem, Conn./East Lyme) scored her first career goal in the win, and freshman
Zharria John (Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway) added an assist on the Charger's first goal of the game. New Haven moves to 2-4 overall and 2-1 in Northeast-10 play, while Molloy drops to 2-2 (1-1 NE10).
The Chargers outshot Molloy 4-0 in the opening corner, but were unable to crack the scoreboard.
Rider broke through for New Haven late in the 21st minute with her first tally of the night, taking a short feed from John, and shot it low into the open net for the 1-0 lead. Less than a minute later, Battino took advantage of a penalty shot, and flipped the ball into the bottom right corner to give New Haven the two-goal edge, which they carried into halftime.
Molloy cut their deficit in half with a goal from Olympia Moulton in the 38th minute, but the Chargers responded quickly with a goal from Durkee less than a minute later, sliding it underneath the goaltender's stick and into the bottom left corner to get the lead back to two, at 3-1.
The Lions once again crept back to within one on a 42nd-minute tally to make it 3-2 heading into the fourth quarter. New Haven held off the Lions throughout the final period, until the final minute when Rider made a long breakaway run down the left sideline before cutting into the middle and letting loose a missile past the goalkeeper for a key insurance goal with 36 seconds left that helped lock down the 4-2 win.
The Chargers will hit the road for a NE10 matchup this Saturday when they travel to Springfield for a showdown with American International at 1 p.m.