MERION STATION, Pa. – The Saint Joseph's field hockey team overcame both the elements and crosstown rival Drexel on Friday afternoon, earning a 4-1 win on a rainy day at Ellen Ryan Field.  Senior captain Kathrin Bentz led the way for the Hawks with a goal and an assist.

HOW IT HAPPENED
• It was a quiet start for both teams, but the 17th-ranked Hawks would eventually break through in the final two minutes of the opening stanza as freshman Katy Benton took a pass from senior Courtney Gerber for her first collegiate goal.

• Shortly after the quarter break, Bentz converted on a penalty corner to double the Hawk lead.  Five minutes later, senior Emily Sayre got a stick on a ball from Bentz and tipped it home for her second goal of the season and a 3-0 halftime lead for the hosts.

• Drexel got one back midway through the third as Chandler McFeeley found Puk Thewessen on a corner opportunity to make it a 3-1 game.

• Senior Emily Peters would close out the scoring a minute into the fourth, connecting on a ball that had tipped high in the air; Peters slammed it into the back of the cage for her first goal of the season to essentially seal the win for SJU.

BEHIND THE BOX SCORE
• Senior Pepa Serrano assisted on Bentz's goal in the second quarter.  It was the 34th assist of her Hawk career, tying the program record.

• The Hawks held the Dragons to just a single shot in each half, finishing with a 13-2 margin on the day.  For the season, SJU has outshot its two opponents by a combined total of 43-3.

HAWK TALK
"It was great to play at home again," Bentz said after the game.  "It was amazing, finishing off a goal and having an assist, but in the end, it's all the outcome of our practice.  We've had a good start so far to our season, and we just have to keep on working and keep on going."

UP NEXT
It will be a battle of ranked teams on Sunday afternoon as the 17th-ranked Hawks meet #19 Rutgers at Ellen Ryan Field.  Game time is set for 1:00 p.m.; the contest will be streamed live in the United States on ESPN+ and internationally on the Atlantic 10 Network.


Drexel                  0     0     1     0   –   1
Saint Joseph's     1     2     0     1   –   4

SJU: Benton, Bentz, Sayre, Peters
DREX: Thewessen


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