FINAL SCORE: Vermont 1, Hofstra 0
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – Vermont sophomore
Bailey Matthews scored her first goal of the season in the 20th minute to lift the Catamounts (1-2) to their first win of 2019 over Hofstra (0-4) Sunday afternoon in Hempstead, New York.
RELATED LINKS
Box Score
COACH'S QUOTE
"It was great to see this team earn its first road win," head coach
Kate Pfeifer said. "I felt we should have finished more of our opportunities, but we had some strong individual defensive plays that helped preserve the win, and the shutout."
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Neither team found a shot on goal in a defensive first quarter. Hofstra had the lone shot of the quarter, but it missed the target.
- UVM broke the deadlock with the game's first shot on goal. Sydney Melfi carried the ball down the middle of the field and into the circle before passing to Lydia Maitland, who fired the ball to the far post, where Matthews stood alone and tallied the eventual game-winner.
- Hofstra goalie Marlijn van der Vegt (8 saves) made a great save on Melfi in the 41st minute, but covered the ball in the circle and Melfi was awarded a penalty stroke, but van der Vegt stood tall again to keep the score 1-0.
- Junior Sierra Espeland only needed to make a pair of saves in the shutout victory, but her biggest of the game came in the 56th minute. Espeland's late save was followed by a defensive save from freshman Haley Buffenbarger.
GAME NOTES
- Melfi finished the game with five shots and four shots on goal, both career highs for the junior.
- Espeland recorded her third career shutout in Hempstead and first since Vermont's 3-0 win over 15th-ranked Maine last October in Orono.
- Buffenbarger joins junior captain Pleun Haantjes as the only active Catamounts with at least one defensive save. Haantjes has eight in her career.
- Vermont finished the game with a 14-6 advantage in shots and an 8-3 advantage in shots on goal. Hofstra had a 4-3 edge on penalty corners.
- With the victory, the Cats Win, Community Wins campaign and Vermont Mutual Insurance Group will donate $100 to Make-A-Wish Vermont; bringing this year's total to 58 wins and $5,800.
UP NEXT
Vermont hosts Brown next Friday (Sept. 13) in its annual Rally Against Cancer game, presented by Inspire Closets. The Catamounts and Bears are slated to begin at 4:00 p.m. at Moulton Winder Field.
