Box Score MERION STATION, Pa. – Freshman Anna Willocks bagged a pair of goals, including the game-winner with 10:54 to play, as the Saint Joseph's field hockey team earned a critical 2-1 win over Davidson at Ellen Ryan Field on Saturday afternoon.
After a missed opportunity on a penalty corner, Saint Joseph's (7-8 overall, 4-3 Atlantic 10) won the ball back through a key interception by senior Tori Popinko with just over 11 minutes to play in the second half. Moving forward quickly, Willocks took a pass into the circle from freshman Monica Tice and hammered home her 12th goal of the season to keep the Hawks in control of their own destiny as they pursue a berth in the Atlantic 10 Championship.
“The key today was playing as a team,” said head coach Lynn Farquhar after the game. “Our strength is in our passing, our on-ball possession, and our off-ball movement. We knew we had to create two-on-ones, and we had to attack together and defend together.”
Davidson (8-8 overall, 5-2 Atlantic 10) struck first, scoring after a penalty corner midway through the first half. After junior Amelia Deibler made the initial save on a shot from Melissa Funsten, the Wildcats' Courtney Byler sent the rebound to Hannah Fisher, who found the back of the cage for her first goal of the season and a 1-0 lead.
The Hawks controlled play throughout the second half, leveling the match on a penalty corner. Willocks converted on a blast from the top of the circle to tie the game at a goal apiece with 24:18 to play.
After taking the lead, the Hawks pushed for a third goal, but Willocks' bid for a hat trick on a turnaround chip went just wide of the cage. The Wildcats then earned a corner with no time on the clock; Deibler stood tall, stuffing Katherine English on Davidson's only two shots of the second half to preserve the win for Saint Joseph's.
Deibler finished the day with four saves, while Davidson's Emily Leytham made three.
“Defensively, I think [Davidson does] a really good job getting the ball out of their defensive backfield, so our goal was to keep it in their backfield,” said Farquhar. “We knew we had to be good interceptors, and that was a focus preparing for this game.”
The Hawks will take their two-game winning streak into Sunday's non-conference matchup with Georgetown. The Hawks and Hoyas will get underway at Ellen Ryan Field at 2:00 p.m.
