Strong Start Sends Roger Williams Past Field Hockey, 3-2

BRISTOL, R.I. (October 8, 2019) – The Roger Williams University field hockey team established a 2-0 first quarter lead on its way to a 3-2 win over Western New England University on Tuesday night in Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) action at Bayside Field.

Top Performers
Western New England was led by sophomore forward Taylor Klesyk (Hamden, Conn.), who scored both of the Golden Bears' goals.

In net, freshman goalie Lexie Hemstock (Cheshire, Conn.) finished with 11 saves.

Roger Williams' balanced offense saw three different players score with sophomores Hannah Gaffney (Bolton, Mass.) and Hannah Palmer (Essex Junction, Vt.) and junior Emma Stevens (Brewster, Mass.) all recording one goal each.

Game Review
The Hawks were on the attack early with a 9-1 shot advantage and a 3-0 penalty corner edge over the opening 15 minutes of play. Gaffney got the home team on the board 2:44 into the contest, before Stevens made it 2-0 in favor of Roger Williams with 15 seconds left in the first quarter.

Midway through the second period, Klesyk scored to cut Western New England's deficit in half, and the Golden Bears trailed 2-1 at halftime.

Neither team generated much offense in the third quarter, as the Hawks and Golden Bears recorded just one shot each. Roger Williams restored its two-goal lead with 6:22 left in the contest, however, when Palmer scored to make it 3-1.

Klesyk tallied her second goal of the game and third of the season with 3:30 on the clock to again bring Western New England back to within striking distance, but the Hawks held the Golden Bears off down the stretch to secure the win.

Notes
• Roger Williams outshot Western New England 22-8, and the Hawks held a 16-3 advantage in penalty corners.
• Hemstock's 11 saves are a season-high for the freshman goalie.

Up Next
Western New England (5-6, 2-4 CCC) returns home to host Smith in non-conference action on Thursday at 4 p.m. Roger Williams (8-5, 3-3 CCC) travels to Gordon on Saturday.