Field Hockey Drops Non-Conference Decision 1-0

ST. MARY'S CITY, Md. – The Virginia Wesleyan College field hockey team lost its final non-conference tune-up before the regular season finale with a 1-0 loss to St. Mary's (Md.) College on Thursday afternoon.

The two squads battled to a scoreless first half despite St. Mary's attempting all six shots in the opening period. Skye Swain stood strong on goal for Virginia Wesleyan, making three saves to ensure the match remained scoreless heading into intermission.

St. Mary's broke through at 54:45 when Courtney Mellon finished off a ball in a crowded circle. Megan Moore took a shot, but Swain made yet another save. The ball deflected out to Mellon who managed to find the back of the cage for the 1-0 lead.

Alyssa Thompson made one save for St. Mary's (4-12) while Brooke Steinhoff contributed a defensive stop. Swain finished with eight saves for the Marlins.

St. Mary's outshot the Marlins 14-4, while penalty corners were a rare occurrence as the hosts held a 2-1 edge.

Virginia Wesleyan (7-9/4-3) host Shenandoah University (9-8/4-3) Saturday at noon in a crucial ODAC contest. Seeding for next week's conference tournament is still to be determined, but the winner of the Marlin-Hornet match will host a home game in the tournament while the loser will travel next week.