University of New Hampshire Athletics

Field Hockey Comeback Falls Short, 4-2, at No. 15 Louisville
8/31/2014 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Lindsey Nerbonne (Bow, N.H.) and Emma Compagna (Canton, Mass.) scored goals to lift the University of New Hampshire field hockey team within one goal of 15th-ranked University of Louisville, but the Cardinals scored a goal at the end of regulation to fend off the Wildcats for a 4-2 victory Sunday afternoon at Trager Stadium.
UNH is now 0-2 while UL improved to 2-0.
Nerbonne, a sophomore transfer from Syracuse University, scored her second goal in as many game as a 'Cat. Compagna, who tallied an assist in the Aug. 29 season opener vs. Indiana University, now has three points on the season. Meg Flatley (Townsend, Mass.), Chandler Giese (Trappe, Pa.) and Kellie Joyce (South Pomfret, Vt.) were all credited with an assist.
UNH goalkeeper Carlie Tarbell (Wakefield, Mass.) was credited with six saves and UL counterpart Sydney King stopped three shots. The Cardinals were led offensively by Alyssa Voelmle (two goals); Elisa Garcia and Stephanie Byrne were the other goals scorers.
Louisville finished with the overall edge in shots (11-8) and penalty corners (6-5), but the numbers for both were even in the second half at four shots apiece and two corners each.
"It was definitely a different second half from the first half," UNH 24th-year head coach Robin Balducci said. "We were on our heels at the start with the energy they came at us with. But we put in that first goal and battled back. We had a lot of possession time. All-in-all, it was a pretty good game overall."
The Cardinals seized early control of the game and quickly built a 3-0 lead with goals in the third, seventh and 15th minutes. On a penalty corner, Tarbell stopped Becca Maddock's initial shot by Voelmle scored off the rebound to give the home team a 1-0 advantage at 2:04.
UNH responded by generating a corner at 3:35, but Ashley Mendonca (Brampton, Ontario) fired a shot wide.
UL scored on the next two shots of the game, however, as Garcia dribbled into the circle on the right wing and beat Tarbell for a two-goal lead at 6:19, and Byrne scored from close range on the left side at 14:35.
New Hampshire called time out at that point, and Tarbell kept the deficit at three goals by denying Nicole Woods at 17:19.
The Wildcats slowly built momentum as Nerbonne was turned aside by King in the 21st and 24th minutes. The 'Cats were awarded a corner one minute later, but did not generate a shot.
Louisville was awarded three consecutive corners beginning in the 28th minute, but Tarbell denied Voelmle on the initial two sets and the Cardinals did not register a shot on the third corner.
UNH capitalized on its third corner of the half on a direct shot by Nerbonne to trim the deficit to 3-1 at 30:56. The battery of Flatley and Joyce was credited with assists. Neither team recorded an assist or corner the remainder of the first half.
Tarbell made two saves – UL shots off the sticks of Paige Monsen and Woods – in the opening seven minutes of the second half to keep the margin at two goals.
The 'Cats threatened in the 48th minute, but King turned aside Flatley. UNH earned a corner at 51:45 and 54:01 but did not fire a shot either time.
The next shot by either team came at 60:19, but UL's Becca Maddock sent the ball wide of the cage.
Compagna also struck a shot off target at 62:50, but she found the back of the cage at 64:27 – on a shot from the right side of the circle inside the far post – to lift New Hampshire within 3-2.
Louisville called its timeout, and the Cardinals defensive effort did not allow the Wildcats a corner or shot the rest of the way to secure the win. UL was awarded a corner in the closing seconds and Voelmle, with the assistance of Mallory Mason and Monsen, scored on a direct shot to advance the final score to 4-2.
New Hampshire returns to action Sept. 5 for its home opener against Drexel University. Game time at Memorial Field is 3 p.m. The Wildcats also play host to Stanford University next weekend with a Sept. 7 (12 p.m.) matchup.
Stanford will also be in action at UNH's Memorial Field against the University of Maine (Sept. 4, 5 p.m.) and Boston University (Sept. 5; 7 p.m.).
Team Stats

Alyssa Voelmle (1)
off of a rebound from penalty corner sho
2:04

Elisa Garcia (2)
dribbled into circle shot from right sid
6:19

Stephanie Byrne (1)
dribbled in front of GK, shot from left
14:35

Nerbonne, Lindsey
Assisted By: Flatley, Meg , Joyce, Kellie
penalty corner goal
30:56

Compagna, Emma
Assisted By: Giese, Chandler
shot from right side of circle into left
64:27

Alyssa Voelmle (2)
Assisted By: Mallory Mason , Paige Monsen
penalty corner goal after time expired
70:00