UNION, N.J. (9/3/13) – The Kean University field hockey team scored five second-half goals – including three by senior Korri Thompson – and overwhelmed Marywood University on Tuesday night. The Kean defense allowed just one shot to earn their second shutout in three games.
Kean dominated the first 20 minutes of the contest. The hosts held Marywood without a single shot and the ball was always deep in Pacer territory. In that same span, the Cougars took seven shots, put six on goal and had taken two penalty corners. One of those shots had even beaten the MU goaltender but Kristen Webb was there for the defensive save.
The first half finished scoreless but Kean continued to press the Pacers at every turn. Kean outshot Marywood 15-0 and took seven penalty corners. The match was as imbalanced as a mutual shutout can be.
Marissa Robinson led the Cougars with three shots on goal at the break.
Exactly five minutes into the second period the Cougars finally broke through. Laura Cheatham had the ball deep in the Marywood zone and crossed it to Thompson in front. The senior was able to get a shot off in traffic that trickled just past the prone goaltender for the first goal of the night.
With 16 minutes to go in the contest, Robinson found Thompson with a pass in front of the Pacer goal. Thompson made a quick move right and fired a shot into the woodwork for her second goal of the game.
Late in the contest, senior Julie Knodt sent a hard cross into the circle. Freshman Bridgette Bottinelli had to leave her feet to connect with the ball but she was able to one-time it into the cage for the third goal of the game and first of her career.
The last two scores both came on penalty corners with less than three minutes remaining as the Cougars capitalized on the huge disparity in offensive pressure. Thompson assisted on the first and scored the second to put an exclamation point on her night. Knodt (pictured left) scored the Cougars' fourth goal and Robinson assisted on the final tally.
Katie DiCarlo earned the shutout in goal, though she was tested just once all night.
The field hockey team will travel to Hoboken on Saturday to take on Stevens Institute of Technology at 5 p.m.
