MOUNT OLIVE, N.C — The Newberry Field hockey team took care of business on the road to close out the series on Mount Olive. The Wolves improved their record to 6-3 (5-2 South Atlantic Conference Carolinas) after prevailing over the Trojans 6-2.
Senior standout Brady Keeler set the tone early for the Wolves. The Bridgeville, Delaware native had a career high of three goals in today’s match, inching her way up in the all time goal-scoring leader board as she currently sits second in all-time scoring. The forward has also moved up to second all time in career assists after tallying an assist in the previous contest against Belmont Abbey.
Keeler wasted no time as she maneuvered up the field to score within the first two minutes of the game, opening up the barrage of shots that would find the back of the cage. The goals kept coming as junior midfielder Chantel Gauthier found Keeler off a penalty corner to bury the second one home in the eighth minute.
The Trojans attempted to disrupt the flow of the game as they capitalized off a corner penalty in the final seconds of the first quarter. Railyn King scored her second goal of the season as she received a pass from Samantha Bearden.
Penalty corners were useful to the Wolves, as they executed another goal when Kristyna Oyola found Mariah Lee to extend the lead 3-1. Keeler sealed her hat trick in the 22nd minute, putting Newberry in a comfortable position going into the half time break.
The second half was much of the same as Newberry kept up their offensive rhythm. Newberry was persistent in finding the back of the net, taking 25 shots by the end of the contest compared to Mount Olive’s eight.
Keeler tallied her third assist of the season as she dribbled down the line to move past defenders before laying up a pass across the circle to Amanda Sponaugle. The freshmen then controlled the ball to easily put it past the keeper, good her second collegiate goal at the 34th minute of the game. Senior Forward Haley Smith found the back of the cage minutes later as she dribbled down the middle of the circle and buried one in.
Freshmen Keeper Charlotte Bragard was able to record three saves, leading the team to her fifth win behind the net.
The Wolves swept Mount Olive this season after soaring past the Trojans by a 6-0 margin in the first meeting. Newberry has also swept Coker this season and won five of their first seven conference match-ups to establish themselves as firm competitors in South Atlantic Conference Carolinas.