With a 2-1 victory over Houghton College, Geneseo field hockey won its fifth consecutive game on Tuesday Oct. 2 after starting the season, 1-3.
The Knights outshot the Highlanders 12-2, with freshman Elena Hingston tallying the game-winning goal with roughly five minutes remaining.
Freshman Dayna Mercer took the win in goal, despite not making any saves.
The road to success began with a 3-2 win against Utica College followed by four consecutive wins against SUNY Brockport, Morrisville State College, St. Lawrence University and Houghton College. Currently the Knights are 6-3, which puts them at second in SUNYAC play and undefeated against SUNY schools.
Head coach Jessica Seren said she was very proud of how the team played over the past few weeks.
“We just want to improve and get better from where we were the day before,” she said. “This is a testament to the student-athletes we have. They work hard and they put in the time, they are committed and that is their goal as well: to keep improving and they make it happen.”
The Knights faced their toughest challenge Saturday Sept. 29 against St. Lawrence in a double overtime game. The game went to a stroke-off and senior Kerry Hosford scored the winning goal in penalty shots.
“I knew it was going to be a tough game,” Seren said. “I do not really feel like there is a game on our schedule where we can go into the game thinking this is going to be an easy game for us.”
“I thought we outplayed them a lot,” she said. “They had a very good goalie and I thought she was their best player. She helped them in the game.”
St. Lawrence’s sophomore goalie Brady Cooper saved 12 and allowed one goal.
“We definitely dominated in the shot category; we just couldn’t put one past [Cooper],” Seren said.
Mercer continues to dominate the goal over the past five games for the Knights and allowed five goals in as many games.
“We made a change after [William Smith College],” Seren said, in reference to replacing Mercer over senior Caitlyn Dowell. “For a freshman to be put in that situation with the pressure, I thought she rose to the occasion. In the penalty shots she stopped every single shot. She was a dominating presence, and she was definitely my player of the game versus St. Lawrence.”
Mercer and the rest of the Knights host SUNY New Paltz on 4 p.m. Friday Oct. 5.