HARRISONBURG, Va. – EMU Field Hockey hopped on the bus to Amherst, Va., for their first ODAC matchup of the season against Sweet Briar. After coming back from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game, the Royals surrendered the go-ahead goal with 1:50 left, and the Vixens sent them home with a 3-2 loss.
 

Records: EMU 3-6, 0-1 ODAC | Sweet Briar 5-4, 1-0 ODAC

Highlights

• 3' | The home-standing Vixens wasted no time finding the scoreboard, as Avery Jones took the ball into the circle and shot it backhanded into the Royals' cage to put Sweet Briar up 1-0.
• 29' | One goal was not enough for Jones though, as she stole the ball from a Royals defender and knocked in a shot from short-range with just over a minute left in the first half. Sweet Briar took a 2-0 lead into halftime.
• 36' | The Royals roared back in the third quarter. Kate Landis took a long-range shot off of a penalty corner, and Hayley Collins deflected it past the Vixens goalkeeper to bring EMU within one at 2-1.
• 40' | A short while later, EMU struck again on a penalty corner. Elizabeth Longacre sent the ball in to Cassidy Armstrong, who hammered a shot from the top of the circle and into the cage to knot up the game at 2-2.
• 59' | Sweet Briar put up 10 shots in the fourth quarter, but EMU was holding on defensively. With just under two minutes remaining, the Vixens finally got one by the Royals as Emmi Burdine turned around and fired a shot into the cage to give the Vixens the 3-2 lead. The Royals could not muster a game-tying goal in the final moments.

Statistical Leaders
Goals: H. Collins, Armstrong (1)
Assists: H. Collins, Armstrong (2)
Saves: Gracyn Arruda (11)

What's Next
EMU Field Hockey will look to shake off the loss when they host Shenandoah on Wednesday, Oct. 4. Gametime at the EMU Turf Field is set for 7 p.m.  

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