NEW HAVEN, Conn. (September 13, 2024) – First-year Jenna Baxter (Lebanon, Maine) tallied a 39^th-minute equalizer to draw the Sacred Heart University field hockey team level with her first collegiate goal on Friday night. Unfortunately for the Pios, it was their only goal of their home opener, and visiting Hofstra was ultimately able to collect a 2-1 win via a six-round shootout (3-2) victory in non-conference play at Johnson Field. Tara McNally provided the shootout winner for the Pride.
 
The two teams were evenly matched throughout the night, with each side generating 12 shot attempts, and the shootout was tightly-contested as well. Through the initial five rounds, each team had put home a pair, with Baxter and Celia Benson (Scituate, Mass.) striking for SHU, while McNally and Kesia Richardson converted for Hofstra.
 
As the shootout went to its sixth round, each coach went back to one of its scorers from earlier in the shootout. McNally was able to execute a spin move in front of the cage to beat Samantha Maresca (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) at the right post, before Benson was stymied by Pieke Roos as Hofstra pulled out the victory.
 
Sacred Heart (2-3) was left to rue some missed opportunities to put the game away earlier. While the shot attempts were even, it was the Pios who had a 2-to-1 advantage in penalty corners, at 10-5, which included a 9-3 margin in regulation. However, from its 10 corner attempts, SHU generated just five shots attempts, of which only two were on goal.
 
Hofstra (1-3) got things started right from the jump and opened the scoring just 57 seconds into the proceedings. Pilar Penaloza controlled at the top of the circle, went to her left, reversed her stick and tucked a long, low shot inside the left post for her first goal of the season.
 
SHU would trail through halftime, but then equalized 3:36 into the third quarter, in the 39^th minute. The play came to Jaden Ray (Shrub Oak, N.Y.) with some time and space to work with on the right side of the midfield. The junior tri-captain found a seam to play a long ball ahead into the circle and found her target. Baxter was stationed in the middle of the circle and was able to redirect the ball beyond the reach of Roos for her first collegiate goal.
 
Following the Baxter goal, the two teams would combine for just three shots on goal across the final 20-plus minutes of regulation. Neither team put a shot on target in the first overtime and then Hofstra held a 3-1 advantage on shots on goal in the second overtime, with Maresca turning aside all three to send the game to the shootout.
 
In all, Maresca (2-3) made five saves against six shots and suffered the loss in the SHU net. Roos (1-3) turned aside four of five shots on the way to the win for Hofstra.
 
The Pios are back in action and back on the road on Sunday afternoon, when they travel to Dartmouth. Game time is set for noon in Hanover, N.H.