Flatley's Career-High Four Goals Propels Field Hockey Past Hofstra, 7-1

Sunday, September 21

12 pm

University of New Hampshire

(2-6, 0-0EA)

Hofstra University

(7-2, 0-0CAA)

Hofstra

New Hampshire

Flatley's Career-High Four Goals Propels Field Hockey Past Hofstra, 7-1

9/21/2014 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey

Box Score

DURHAM, N.H. – Meg Flatley (Townsend, Mass.) scored a career-high four goals to lead the University of New Hampshire field hockey team to Sunday afternoon's 7-1 victory against Hofstra University at Memorial Field.

UNH, which scored a total of eight goals the initial seven games of the season, improved to 2-6. Hofstra had its seven-game win streak snapped and is now 7-2.

Flatley, whose previous single-game high was two goals, became the first Wildcat since Emily Colton in 2006 to score four goals in a game. Flatley vaulted into UNH's Top 10 career goals leaderboard with No. 10 Liz Brickley (1987-90) at 32. She also ranks 13^th in career points with 75.

UNH's other goal scorers were Lindsey Nerbonne (Concord, N.H.), Meg Carroll (Mansfield, Mass.) and Taylor Rideout (Barrington, R.I.), who recorded her first career points with the tally. Aggie Sutherland (Dauphin, Pa.) was credited with a personal-best two assists; Lynne Lehman (Landisburg, Pa.) and Gianna Bensaia (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) both tallied one assist.

Wildcat goalkeeper Carlie Tarbell (Wakefield, Mass.) made three saves and exited the game with UNH leading 6-1 at 62:15. Redshirt freshman Melissa Rize (Severn, Md.) made her collegiate debut and did not face a shot on goal during the last 7:45 of the game.

Hofstra starting goalie Carys Swan surrendered three goals and was not credited with a save in 19:58. With the Pride trailing 3-1 at that point, she was pulled in favor of Lauren Saltus, who made six saves and allowed four goals in her relief stint of 50:02. Charlotte Loehr scored the Hofstra goal.

Flatley opened the scoring on an end-to-end rush in which she deked past Swan at 5:47 and extended UNH's lead to 2-0 at 12:31 when she corralled Sutherland's hit and fired a shot into the cage.

Hofstra scored on its first shot of the game when Loehr's reverse stick shot went in to trim the deficit to 2-1 at 15:16.

New Hampshire reestablished a two-goal advantage, 3-1, at 19:58 on Carroll's first goal of the season.

The Wildcats continued to pressure, but Nerbonne's shot in the 22^nd minute was blocked by a defender, Flatley's bid was stopped by Saltus one minute later and the Nerbonne struck another shot wide.

Tarbell kept the margin at two goals when she denied Jonel Boileau in the 25^th minute. Two minutes later, Loehr's bid was blocked by a UNH defender and then Tarbell turned aside Claudia Marin-Samper.

The 'Cats closed with pressure in the last five minutes. Nerbonne's direct shot on a penalty corner was blocked, then in the closing minute UNH was awarded another corner. Flatley initiated the scoring sequence as the insert and capped it with her third goal of the game. Saltus stopped Rideout's initial direct shot from the top of the circle, but Flatley corralled the ball at the left post and deposited the ball into the open near side at 34:19.

Hofstra quickly earned a penalty corner ended but Tarbell made a leg-pad save on Loehr's shot and the ball rolled out of the circle to end the first half with UNH leading 3-1 on the scoreboard and holding a 10-5 shot advantage.

New Hampshire continued the scoring barrage early in the second half on Flatley's fourth goal of the game, which gave the 'Cats a 5-1 lead at 38:11. In the middle of the circle, Lehmann pulled the ball to the right to elude Saltus. She swept the ball back to the middle, where Flatley struck a shot into the open cage.

Nerbonne's fourth goal of the season at 42:18 extended the advantage to 6-1. Chandler Giese (Trappe, Pa.) struck a long ball from her defensive 25 to the opposite 25, where Nerbonne gained possession, entered the circle on the right side and, with Saltus charging, fired a shot inside the near post.

Hofstra generated consecutive corners in the 47^th minute, but shots by both Simca Schoen and Loehr were blocked by defenders. UNH quickly counterattacked and Taylor Scafidi (Waltham, Mass.) was denied by Saltus.

Neither team recorded a shot the next six minutes until Loehr, from 10 yards, struck a ball in mid-air wide right of the cage.

The Wildcats began to regain control and generated back-to-back corners in the 62^nd minute. On the first, Nerbonne's shot was blocked by a defender and then, on the second, Molly Heaney (East Kingston, N.H.) blasted a low drive that Saltus blocked away with her leg pads.

UNH converted its next penalty corner into a goal and 7-1 lead at 65:42. Sutherland inserted the ball to Bensaia at the top of the circle and Rideout's direct shot sailed under the crossbar.

The Pride gained a corner in the waning seconds of the game, but Leigh Maxwell-Smith's shot bounced wide left of the cage.

New Hampshire finished with a 19-10 shot advantage and the penalty corners were even at 6-6.

UNH returns to action Sept. 26 at home against Miami (Ohio) University. Game time at Memorial Field is 6 p.m.