WINCHESTER, Va. - The Shenandoah University field hockey team
snapped a 15-match losing streak Tuesday afternoon with a 2-1
non-league victory over Wilson College in the season opener for
both teams.
Freshman Katie Johnson made her
first career goal a special one, scoring 37 seconds into the
second overtime to give the Hornets (1-0) the OT victory over
Wilson (0-1).
Taking the ball to start the second sudden-victory overtime
session, Shenandoah moved the ball down into the offensive zone,
where Johnson tucked the ball past Nikola Graffneterova for the
game-winner.
The win is the first for SU since the squad ended the 2007
season with a shutout victory over Hood College.
Casey
Hertel had given the hosts the early lead when she
converted a cross from Paola
Aguilar right on the doorstep in the 40th minute. Aguilar
drew Grafnetterova out-of-position and slid the ball to Hertel
standing on the goalline.
Wilson answered back on a Liesel Troshak goal 18 minutes later,
and the two teams played the final 12 minutes of regulation and the
first 15-minute sudden victory period without a goal to set up
Johnson's moment.
Shenandoah outshot its visitors 15-4 with Grafnetterova making
11 saves.
SU is off until hosting Roanoke on September 12 in another
non-league contest.
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