MERION STATION, Pa. – Freshman Melanie Colozzi scored her first career goal in the first half and the Hawk defense made it stand up as the Saint Joseph's field hockey team held on for a 1-0 win over Towson on Sunday at Ellen Ryan Field.  Junior Rachel Barnett made three saves in the cage to earn her first career shutout.

Saint Joseph's (1-5) dominated the offensive run of play in the first half and finally broke through with 12:29 to play.  The Hawks earned consecutive penalty corners, and on the second try, junior Nicole Gerdes had a shot saved by Towson's Brittany Varacallo.  Colozzi was waiting for the rebound, tucking it home for what turned out to be the game's only goal.

Towson (1-5) had opportunities in the second half, but couldn't convert.  Barnett stoned the Tigers' Sam Zelenack on a penalty corner eight minutes into the frame, and Zelenack later sent a shot just wide of the cage with 2:09 to play.  SJU was able to lock down the win despite being a player down during the final three minutes due to a green card.

Barnett made three saves to earn the clean sheet, while Varacallo made three of her own.  The Hawks enjoyed a 13-6 advantage in shots and a 10-9 edge in corners.

Saint Joseph's will close out its four-game homestand with a matchup against Pacific on Thursday, September 19.  Game time is set for 3:30 p.m. at Ellen Ryan Field.