BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The LIU Brooklyn field hockey team improved to 3-2 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play Saturday afternoon, beating Bryant 3-2 on LIU Field to keep their playoff hopes alive. Sophomore
Gillian Vallaster had two goals for the Blackbirds, while sophomore
Madi Cook scored the game winner with just three minutes left to play.
The game was evenly matched right from the start, but it was LIU who got on the board first. Bryant was whistled for a foul 13 minutes into play, and sophomore
Brooke McGinley took the penalty corner for LIU. Freshman
Eveline Gielisse took the initial shot in the circle, but Bryant's goalie made the save. Vallaster was there to push the ball in on the rebound, and the Blackbirds took the 1-0 lead.
Bryant evened the score with just five minutes left to play in the first half. Two Bulldogs would break away on transition, and forced LIU goalie
Molly Jannell into a 2-on-1. The numbers advantage worked in favor of the Bulldogs, and they scored to tie it up, 1-1.
Three minutes into the second half, Bryant would take the lead for the first time, scoring a goal off a penalty corner in the 38
th minute to make it 2-1.
LIU would come back to even it up six minutes later. Freshman
Jenna Chrabolowski passed the ball across in front of the net, and sophomore
Lydia Trout knocked it to the left side of the goal, where Vallaster was waiting. Vallaster would finish the shot for her second goal of the game, tying it up, 2-2.
The score would stay knotted up from there, with neither team able to land a shot for the next ten minutes. But it was LIU who would finally break the tie in the 57
th minute. Bryant was called for a foul in the circle, and McGinley would take the penalty corner once more. This time, a short pass to
Madi Cook saw the sophomore take a long shot from the left corner of the circle, sneaking it past Bryant's goalie, and putting the home team on top, 3-2.
From there, LIU's defense took over, keeping the Bulldogs from scoring for the final 13 minutes of the game, and clinching the Blackbirds' second straight MAAC win. Sophomore keeper
Molly Jannell had seven saves in the win for LIU.
Up next, the Blackbirds travel north to take on Sacred Heart, Friday, October 27 at 7 p.m.