The Virginia Wesleyan University field hockey team (4-5, 1-1 ODAC) earned a commanding 5-0 victory over Eastern Mennonite.
The Marlins' offense was led by
Dani Poulsen, who tallied two goals on three shots,
Isabelle Rogers,
Ava Stauch, and
Morgan Stapleton each contributed a goal, and
Regan Wells,
Kyndra Peyton, and
Lauren Kite each notched an assist. It was
Morgan Stapleton's first career goal.
The Marlins' defense, anchored by goalkeeper
DJ Holsclaw, did not face a single shot on goal.
Virginia Wesleyan wasted no time setting the tone, striking just over two minutes into the game.
Isabelle Rogers scored the opening goal at the 2:24 mark, finishing off a setup from
Lauren Kite to give the Marlins an early 1-0 lead. The Marlins dominated the attacking circle throughout the quarter, outshooting Eastern Mennonite 7-0 and earning four penalty corners.
The Marlins continued their offensive pressure in the second frame. At the 19:35 mark,
Dani Poulsen doubled the lead with a clean finish off an assist from
Kyndra Peyton, making it 2-0. Virginia Wesleyan generated five more shots in the period, while the defense remained airtight, allowing no attempts from the Royals. By halftime, the Marlins had a 12-0 shot advantage and a 2-0 lead on the scoreboard.
The third quarter saw the Marlins put the game out of reach with a pair of quick goals.
Morgan Stapleton extended the lead to 0 at 38:50 with an unassisted tally, marking her first goal of the contest. Just over a minute later,
Ava Stauch capitalized on a feed from
Regan Wells, pushing the margin to 4-0. Virginia Wesleyan kept up its offensive dominance with nine shots in the quarter, while Eastern Mennonite continued to search for its first opportunity.
Virginia Wesleyan added one final goal in the closing frame to cap the shutout. Poulsen struck again in the 54th minute, netting her second goal of the day and securing the 5-0 victory for the Marlins. The Royals managed to earn one penalty corner in the quarter but were unable to convert it into a shot. Virginia Wesleyan outshot Eastern Mennonite 25–0, including 15 shots on goal, while holding a 13–3 advantage in penalty corners.
