NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Albertus Magnus College field hockey team dropped a heartbreaker to the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) in both teams' 2021 season opener Wednesday at Celentano Field, as the Blue Jays won in double-overtime to steal a season-opening win.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: St. Joseph (Conn.) 1 | Albertus Magnus 0 (2OT)
RECORDS: Albertus Magnus (0-1) | St. Joseph (Conn.) (1-0)
BOX SCORE
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both programs traded blows through the opening five quarters, as neither team found the back of the cage in the first 70 minutes. USJ held the offensive advantage, finishing with 24 shots, 15 of which were on goal. However, the Falcons defense remained strong by allowing just one tally.
The lone score of the contest came off of a penalty corner attempt by the Blue Jays. Morgan Rhoades inserted the ball from the left hash, finding Cayleen DeFaranos just inside the arc. DeFaranos sent a pass of her own to the other side of the arc, hitting Maya Tomko for a deflection into the bottom right corner of the cage to end the bout.
In cage, Mikayla Lyston (Medford, N.Y.) did her best in the wet and windy conditions to force a penalty shootout, tallying 14 saves in a stellar opener. Tonight's contest marked her 12th double-digit save effort.
Albertus had a very young team compete tonight, as five Falcons made their collegiate debuts. Brittany Yarrow (Stamford, Conn.), Danielle Brodman (Lindenhurst, N.Y.), Alexis Duranleau (Wheelock, Vt.), Marigrace Singer (New Haven, Conn.), and Ana Lucia Gutierrez Gomez (Hermosillo, Mexico) all made their first collegiate appearances.
BETWEEN THE PIPES
Albertus: Mikayla Lyston (L, 0-1) – 15 Shots on Goal | 1 Goals-Against | 14 Saves
St. Joseph (Conn.): Abby Delgado (W, 1-0) – 0 Shots on Goal | 0 Goals-Against | 0 Saves
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
• USJ finished the evening with a 24-1 advantage in shots.
• The Blue Jays tallied all 23 penalty corners in the game.
• Both teams finished with an identical 49 fouls.
NOTEWORTHY
• Tonight's bout is the Falcons' first-ever overtime contest.
• Lyston has tallied 10-plus saves in 12 of her 14 career starts.
• This was the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
• Tonight's game was the first for interim head coach Lauren Pallone.
UP NEXT
The Falcons will be back in action on Saturday, Sept. 4, as they head to Elms College for their Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) opener at 12 p.m. in Chicopee, Mass.