Saward, O'Neil Combine for 5 Goals in Saint Romp
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Tara FreemanLizzy Saward scored three goals in Saturday's rout of Vassar
Sept. 22: Former Vermont high school field hockey rivals Lizzy Saward and Grace O'Neil combined for five goals as St. Lawrence University's field hockey team played a nearly flawless first half en route their first win of the season, a 6-1 rout of Liberty League rival Vassar.
The Saints, 1-6 overall and 1-1 in league play outshot the Brewers 22-0 in the first half and more than matched the total goal output of the first six games, rolling to a 6-0 lead. Saward, a rookie who played her high school field hockey at South Burlington, scored three of the first five goals and O'Neil, a junior who played at Essex, scored the other two before senior Courtney Cartier completed the Saint scoring on a breakaway late in the half. Vassar's Dara Davis foiled the Saint shutout bid with just under five minutes left in the game with her first goal of the season.
The Saints, who had scored just four goals in their first six games, wasted little time in getting on the board on Saturday as Saward scored her first collegiate goal when she controlled a wide shot along the end line and put the ball back inside the far post 3:45 into the game.
Saward scored her second of the game at 17:28 of the first half when she picked up a rebound of a save by Vassar keeper Maggie Brelis on Kate Higgins and tucked the ball into the cage, and it went to 3-0 at 22:24 when Saward set up O'Neil's first of the year with a goal mouth pass following a penalty corner. O'Neil scored on a shot from a tough angle along the goal line. Saward completed her hat trick just 2:19 later after another Saint corner with Kara Pelosi assisting and Cartier completed the Saint scoring burst when she took a lead pass from Carly Stine, made a move past a defender and finished off the breakaway with a shot from point blank range for her fourth of the year at 30:31.
Vassar generated some shots in the second half and Saint goalie Brady Cooper kept the Brewers off the board with three second half saves. Kim Haab came on in relief in the final 5:56 and allowed Davis' goal from right in front after a corner. Haab also had three saves for the Saints.
SLU finished with a 29-20 edge in shots and a 9-3 advantage in corners. Brelis finished with a total of eight saves for Vassar.
The Saints will complete a three-game home stand when they host St. John Fisher in a non-league game at 4 p.m. Tuesday.