Drew Field Hockey Beat Juniata in Conference Face-Off

On Saturday, Oct. 22, Drew University hosted a Landmark Conference field hockey match against Juniata College at Ranger Stadium. This game was predicted to be a loss for Drew, as Juniata entered the match with only one loss in the Landmark conference, while Drew had two. Furthermore, Drew’s 1-5 loss to Elizabethtown last week solidified predictions that Juniata—who won against Elizabethtown—would enter this match with an advantage. However, the game saw no goals from either side until the fourth quarter, during which Drew claimed a 2-1 victory, pushing Drew above Juniata in the Landmark Conference rankings.

The game started with an early offensive push from Drew before the back-and-forth that characterized most of the game began. Early in the first quarter, both teams made it to the circle, but the Rangers hit the ball out of play, giving Juniata possession and a chance to bring the game to the center of the field. After another push, the Rangers were awarded a penalty corner but failed to hit the target. In the next few minutes of the game, Drew was awarded two consecutive corners but did not score, allowing Juniata to turn possession. The Rangers’ offensive efforts were momentarily interrupted as Juniata took possession from defender Lauren Cagliostro (‘25) and played into two penalty corners. Juniata’s efforts were thwarted by Cagliostro with the help of defender Eniyah Garner (‘24). In the last moments of the quarter, the team made another offensive push, initiated by midfielder Trisha Dominick (‘23), and was awarded their fourth penalty corner of the game, during which Maxine Lloyd (‘24) attempted a shot but missed the net.

The second quarter began with rallying offensive drives from the Rangers. Drew was awarded a penalty corner, but the attempt was blocked by a diving Juniata goalkeeper. Overall, the second quarter saw several offensive drives stopped by impressive defensive maneuvers. Drew ended the first half with eight shots on goal, while their rigid defense prevented Juniata from making any shots. 

As the third quarter began, Drew stole possession from the Eagles within 30 seconds, beginning another quarter of repetitive back-and-forth between the teams. While many of Juniata’s offensive maneuvers were blocked by defenders, the Eagles were able to make their first shot on goal four minutes into the third quarter, forcing goalkeeper Olyvia Jackson (‘24) into her first of five saves in the game. Shortly after, Juniata was awarded three back-to-back penalty corners, all of which were unsuccessful. The rest of the quarter saw competitive pushes from Juniata, allowing them the most shots on goal they would attempt in one quarter of the game. However, Drew’s defense maintained a strong back line as they continued to deny goals, ending the quarter in a 0-0 tie. 

The fourth quarter saw the first goal of the game six minutes in. In a sudden offensive burst, Drew’s defender Sheila Roth (‘24) gained possession and sent the ball high into the air for Janelle Arch (‘25) to claim for herself and pass on to forward Tyler Olivio (‘25). Olivio took the ball up the right sideline before passing to Lloyd who backhanded it into the goal. The next four minutes saw an offensive push from Juniata, but Drew held strong. Once again, Drew cut around Juniata defenders, moving the ball up the field for a clever link-up play between forward Alexa Thomas (‘23) and Lloyd, who clinched Drew’s second goal of the game with four minutes to spare. Juniata piled on their offensive for the final minutes of the game, managing a penalty corner with 17 seconds on the clock. The Eagles’ Skyler Stevens was able to find a last-minute goal to prevent a Rangers’ shutout.  

The game marked the second win in a row for Drew as well as their first win against Juniata in nine years. Drew continued their winning streak when they played Lancaster Bible on Tuesday, Oct. 25, finishing strong with a score of 5-0. Keep up with the field hockey team as they play their final game of the season at Susquehanna on Saturday, Oct. 29, at 1 p.m. A livestream can be found on their schedule at drewrangers.com.

Featured photo courtesy of Sierra Walker.