HOUGHTON, NY – After scoring only one goal in their first two games, the Houghton Highlanders offense exploded on Saturday afternoon, defeating the Keuka Wolves, 4-1, to open Empire 8 conference play.
Jace Hunzinger opened the scoring in the fifth minute when she received a pass from
Cedar Smith ten feet in front of the cage and railed home her first collegiate goal.
With less than a minute to go before the half, Hunzinger took a shot from the right side of the circle, which the Keuka goalie saved with her pads. The shot, however, generated enough backspin that it kicked back over a defender's stick to a wide-open Rebekah Davie, waiting just in front of the goal mouth. Davie lightly tapped the ball into the back of the cage, giving the Highlanders a two goal lead at the break.
The Wolves came out with a vengeance in the third quarter, peppering the Houghton goal with 10 shots, while garnering seven corners. Finally, in the 36
th minute, Keuka broke through, as McKenzie Hoyt tallied her fourth goal of the season off a corner, trimming the Houghton lead to a single goal.
Moments later Hunzinger took a ball at midfield and led the Houghton counter in the Keuka defensive third. Her shot from the right side crossed the goal mouth and bounced off a Keuka defensive player's stick before being corralled by
Deborah Cross, who ripped a shot past the Wolves goalie to put the Highlanders up, 3-1.
Houghton regained control in the final quarter, outpacing the Wolves in both shots and corners. With five minutes to go,
Peyton Bentley give the Highlanders some breathing room, collecting a rebound off a Cross shot and scoring her second goal of the season.
GAME VITALS
Score: Houghton – 4 | Keuka – 1
Records: Houghton: 1-2 (1-0 Empire 8) | Keuka: 1-3 (0-1 Empire 8)
Venue: Burke Field, Houghton College | Attendance: 82
SCORING SUMMARY
NOTABLE STATS
>> Keuka outshot the Highlanders, 19-12, including a 10-2 margin in the third quarter. The Wolves also held an 11-3 advantage in corners. Houghton did not earn their first corner until the fourth quarter.
>> Hunzinger, Davie and Cross all tallied their first career goals. This is the first time that three freshmen have scored their first career goals in the same game since Houghton joined the NCAA in 2012.
>>
Sofia Gildemeister made eight saves for the Highlanders, tying her second-highest single-game total, while only allowing one goal.
UP NEXT
The Highlanders travel to Aurora, New York on Tuesday, September 14 to challenge the Wells College Express at 7:00 p.m. Houghton won the last matchup between the two schools, 13-1, on September 18, 2019.
