Oct. 28, 2012

Box Score | Photo Gallery

(2-16) 1 2 Final Georgetown 0 0 0 #11 Lafayette 3 4 7 Box Score | Photo Gallery (15-1)

EASTON, Pa. - The Lafayette field hockey team continues to dominate opponents as it closed out its regular season with a 7-0 win over Georgetown on Senior Day at Rappolt Field on Sunday afternoon.

It was a balanced attack for the Leopard offense as six different players netted a goal with sophomore Jenna Seybert tallying two scores. Sophomore Jessica Deutsch and senior Mara Kish combined for the squad's fifth-straight shutout, allowing seven shots and five corners from the Hoyas.

15 minutes into the contest, senior co-captain began the scoring as she batted at a rebound and eventually knocked it past Georgetown goalkeeper, Brianna Pereira, to put Lafayette on the board, 1-0.

Five minutes later, senior co-captain Emily Valeo found an open Kristin Heaney across the cage, as Heaney deflected the ball past Pereira for the two-goal advantage.

Seybert added a third with no time remaining in the first half as she slotted a corner shot past Pereira's left side to give the Leopards the 3-0 halftime lead.

A Valeo penalty stroke finish, along with scores from juniors Kelsey Gula and Hanna Sotiropoulos, and another from Seybert in the second half, pushed the final score to 7-0.

The win gives Lafayette's its 13^th-straight victory heading into the Patriot League tournament. Hosting the event, Lafayette will face Colgate on Friday at Rappolt Field with the winner taking on the winner of American vs. Bucknell for the Patriot League Championship on Saturday.

Coach Griffiths on his five seniors:

Deanna DiCroce: "Deanna is a talented, skillful athlete who has continuously worked to improve her skills. She has been determined to score goals, and she has scored some important ones for us! She has also developed into a strong leader and has helped others to improve around her, the center of a dangerous forward line."

Mara Kish: "Mara's focus and intensity is a driving force in our training and games. She has extremely high expectations for herself, and she is an excellent role model with her work ethic. She has been a leader for our team with her personality, dedication and perseverance."

Maria Machalick: "Maria has excellent game sense and has been a steady and strong performer in the midfield every year. She brings a competitive edge, performs best when the pressure is highest, and has impacted the team significantly, helping to make the players around her better."

Emily Valeo: "Emily has developed into a dangerous attacking threat to eliminate from the midfield, and her technical skills on overheads and penalty corners are outstanding. Her all-round play and positive personality have helped to bring our team to prominence on campus and on the national stage."

Jaclyn White: "Jaci is soft-spoken, but is a strong and determined athlete and person. She has quietly excelled in everything she has done at Lafayette, and hockey is no exception. Without much fanfare, Jaci has continued to improve and control the left side of the field for us."