LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. – Despite owning an advantage in almost every offensive category, the Sacred Heart University field hockey team fell on the road at Rider, 2-1, on Sunday afternoon in Northeast Conference (NEC) action in Lawrenceville, N.J. 

SHU paced the Broncs in shots (21-6), shots on goal (16-3) and penalty corners (15-4). Unfortunately for the Pios, 15 of their 16 shots were saved, while Rider cashed in on two of three attempts. Hailey Vogt ended the day as SHU's goal scorer, cashing in on a penalty stroke for her second score of the season. 

Records:
Sacred Heart: 3-5 (1-1 NEC)
Rider: 3-5 (2-1 NEC)

Leaders:
Hailey Vogt: 1 goal, 3 shots, 2 on goal
Blaire Sparks: 7 shots, 6 on goal
Brianna Cooper: 1 save

Of Note:
The Broncs broke onto the scoreboard first, taking a 1-0 lead 50 seconds into today's contest. After a SHU turnover near midfield, Rider's Semra Said found a streaking Valeria Perales, who buried a shot blocker side for the score. 

Despite trailing, the Pioneers dominated the rest of the first half. SHU finished with a 10-1 advantage in shots on goal, with Blaire Sparks leading the way with five. Unfortunately for Sacred Heart, Rider's goalie was up for the challenge, making multiple big saves to maintain a clean sheet through 30 minutes. 

Rider struck again on its second shot, scoring on a penalty corner at 37:06 to make it 2-0. 

SHU finally found pay dirt 5:19 into the fourth quarter. After the Pios were awarded a penalty stroke following a foul from Rider's goalie Jade Regnart, Vogt calmly put the ball in the top-right corner to cut the deficit in half. 

The Pios had one more chance to even the score in the final minute of play, with two shots and three straight penalty corners. Unfortunately for SHU, the Broncs' defense held strong, as the home team held on to secure a 2-1 league win. 

Up Next:
The Pioneers will next play at Fairfield on Friday, Oct. 3, at 4 p.m.