EASTON, Pa. – The Lafayette field hockey team started fast on Saturday afternoon at Rappolt Field, using four first-half goals to sink Colgate in a 4-0 victory.
 
The Leopards put the game out of reach early and often as sophomore Molly McAndrew and senior Lisa van der Geest caged first-quarter scores, and senior Caroline Turnbull, along with van der Geests' second of the day, made it 4-0 into the halftime break. The game moved more up-and-down in the second 30 minutes, but neither team was able to light the board in the second half for a 4-0 final.
 
"I thought we had good quality in the first half and were able to score on some good opportunities, which made the difference in the game," head coach Jennifer Stone said. "Every Patriot League game is up for grabs and to hold another shutout is a pretty telling piece for our defense. With that said, we have some things we need to learn from this game and have to make sure we make improvements heading into Monmouth tomorrow."
 
The defensive unit of van der Geest, freshmen Simone Hefting and Sydney Woolston, and senior Sarah Park between the pipes put together a dominant performance, not allowing a shot on goal the entire afternoon. Colgate managed just two shots overall and two corners in the game compared to 15 and 12, respectively, for the Maroon and White.
 
The win moves Lafayette to 4-5 overall this season, but more importantly 2-0 in conference action. Colgate falls to 2-7 and 0-2 in league play.
 
Park picked up her fourth win without a save, while Colgate's Anna Unger stopped seven Leopard scoring chances. Van der Geest led the offense with two goals and an assist on five shots, with four of those on goal. Junior Anna Steps chipped in three assists, while Hefting added a pair of helpers.
 
The Maroon and White head right back to Rappolt Field on Sunday afternoon, hosting No. 25 Monmouth at 2 p.m.