The EMU field hockey team won their third straight game on Thursday on their home turf, taking down Bridgewater College by a slim margin of 3-2. 

The Royals moved over the .500 mark with the win, improving to 4-3 on the year. The Eagles now sit at 3-5 overall.

Both teams were unable to get on the scoreboard in the first period, despite trading shots and offensive attacks throughout the first 15 minutes of play. Stellar defense from the Royals kept the score tied up, with the Eagles getting off a plethora of shots in the final minutes of the period, but unable to find the back of the cage. 

The Eagles struck first in the second period, when Kelsey Hicks found Courtney Cooke with an open look who took a shot at the goal and notched the first one in the game. The Royals answered shortly after, when Morgan Tricarico (Culpeper, Va./Eastern View) moved her way around the Eagles' defenders, creating an open shot and sinking the goal to even up the tally in the final minute of the half. 

The game went into halftime tied up at 1-1. 

In the third, Bridgewater took the lead again with a goal from Caroline Quigley, pushing the score to 2-1. The lead did not last long for the Eagles, with the Royals taking advantage of a penalty corner to set up a play that helped Alaina Fiden (Chesapeake, Va./Western Branch) find Skylar Hedgepeth (Smithfield, Va./Smithfield) with a look at the goal who darted a shot past Bridgewater's goalie. The goal evened up the score again at 2-2.

In the waning minutes of the third period, the Royals took their first lead of the night when Rachel Breslin (Lititz, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) pushed a pass to Brandy Troutman (Mountville, Pa./Hempfield) who sank her first goal of the night, giving the Royals the 3-2 lead. 

EMU came into the fourth quarter with a burst of energy, containing the Eagles' offensive attacks. In the final minutes of the game, Ann Ghally (Aldie, Va./John Champe) saved Bridgewater's final shot and when the clock timed out, the Royals had come out of the game with the victory, 3-2. 

Tricarico and Hedgepeth led the offensive charge for the Royals, each having one goal and three shots on goal. 

On top of her goal in the contest, Troutman also notched a defensive save. 

In the cage, Ghally notched eight saves on the night.

Quigley had nine shots for Bridgewater, with six of them being on goal. 

The Royals are back in action on Friday, Apr. 9 against the Lynchburg Hornets. 

Head coach Ashley Kishorn on the victory: