Eagles Preserve Early Lead Over Blue Jays to Cap 2023

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa.- The Juniata field hockey team concluded the 2023 regular season with a 2-1 victory at Elizabethtown College on Wednesday night. 

All of the scoring came within the first ten minutes of play, with the Blue Jays finding the cage first in the second minute of play off their first penalty corner of the night, following two early saves from Brittney McMullen. From the left side, the Blue Jays played the ball into the middle of the field for a 15-yard shot that found the left corner.  

A little over five minutes later, Juniata leveraged a penalty corner of their own to level the game at one apiece. Aimee Buffington played the ball into nearby Colleen Creneti, situated slightly left, and she took a touch to set the ball before firing a shot into the cage. 

After this eighth-minute goal, Caitlin Steffie gave Juniata the lead in the tenth minute. Thirty yards out from goal, Sydney Witter spotted Steffie with space on the right side, and she slotted a through ball to Steffie, who beat her marker and aimed for the far post on a narrow-angle for the lead. 

Elizabethtown generated most of the chances in the second period, outshooting Juniata 4-1 but only testing McMullen with one shot on goal in the last-second penalty corner as she denied an attempt to deflect the shot past her. 

The Blue Jays continued to press in the second half, with five shots in the third period, including two stops from McMullen and a goal-line clearance from her defense on one occasion.  

Witter opened the fourth period by testing the Blue Jays keeper back-to-back on shots on the edge of the circle and centrally located, forcing a diving stop on one of the shots. This was followed by a penalty corner, but Creneti's attempt was denied by an intervening defender.  

The Blue Jays soon regained momentum, but despite five more shots with three more McMullen saves, they were unable to force a leveler. McMullen made two big stops on the same penalty corner sequence. A minute later, she got the initial touch on an Elizabethtown shot but not enough to deflect it wide, but a backtracking Sierra Rossman cleared the ball at the near post to preserve the lead. 

McMullen ended the night with eight saves on nine shots on goal in her final appearance for Juniata.  

While Juniata was outshot 17-8, they were efficient on the chances they did create, converting on 50% of their shots on goal, and the Juniata defense denied 11 of 12 penalty corners. 

The Juniata field hockey team finishes the 2023 season 6-11 overall in the 3-6 in the Landmark Conference.