WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Vermont held host Monmouth scoreless for 80 minutes but the Hawks scored a 3-1 advantage in the penalty shootout to win the game, 1-0.
 
The Cats drop to 0-3 (0-1 AE) on the young season while Monmouth improves to 3-1.
 
RELATED LINKS
Box Score | Box Score (pdf.)

COACH'S QUOTE
"What a battle - we played solid defense and made some big time pays that kept us in the match," head coach Kate Pfeifer said. "I saw another level of fight from the group when we had to play down a player in overtime and it really lifted the team. Unfortunately, we don't have more to show for the effort. Our mistakes and Monmouth's execution in the shootout sealed it today."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Monmouth nearly struck two and a half minutes into the first but a centering pass from the right wing was deflected wide by Sierra Espeland.
• Maddie Moran provided a nice spark off the bench in the late stages of the first quarter and sent Vermont's first shot – a back-hand attempt from just inside the circle – just wide of the cage.
• The Hawks turned up the offensive pressure in the third drawing three straight penalty corners but the Vermont defense was up to the task snuffing out all three opportunities to keep the game scoreless.
• Monmouth had its best chance of the day at the 6-minute mark of the fourth quarter. A crossing pass leaked through the middle of circle and Espeland made a diving attempt to clear but fanned leaving a wide-open net. Peppe Haantjes stepped in to the path of Julianna Carletti's shot for the defensive save.
• Neither team could find the cage through the rest of regulation or overtime so the game went to a shootout.
• Syndey Melfi got Vermont off to a good start burying her attempt but that would be the only successful try for the Cats.
• Monmouth scored on its final two tries to ice a 3-1 shootout victory.

 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Monmouth outshot Vermont 15-3 and earned six penalty corners.
• Sierra Espeland made six saves for the Cats while Peppe Haantes recorded Vermont's first defensive save since October of 2019.

 
WHO'S NEXT
The Cats get right back at it tomorrow morning against defending conference champion Stanford. The neutral site game will be played at Monmouth and begins at 10 a.m.