Coming off a win from the previous week, the Geneseo field hockey team looked to continue its streak against Washington & Jefferson College. While the team is deep in talent and experience, some of its younger players led through the week.
The Knights capitalized early when sophomore Sarah Malinak scored in under three minutes to start the match. Not done for the day, she scored again in the eighth minute to put Geneseo up 2-0. For her performance in the game, Malinak was named Geneseo Athlete of the Week. Through four games, she is tied for the lead in goals (3) and second in points (7). “Malinak has made her presence known on the forward line,” head coach Jessica Seren said. “She’s got a knack for the goal, and I’m confident she’ll continue to be a strong force for us going forward.” Washington & Jefferson managed to tie the match, but the Knights fought back and took the lead on freshman Liz Doherty’s 61st minute, game-winning goal as Geneseo came away with a 3-2 victory. The Knights were able to hold on to the lead thanks to gritty play by sophomore goalie Dayna Mercer. “[Mercer] made some great saves in the second half when WJ turned up the pressure on us,” Seren said. “They had us on our heels, and she came up with some big saves to keep us in the game. “I was happy with the way our team came out and set the tone from the start,” she continued. “That’s something we try and focus on. When the other team came back to tie it up, we continued to fight and were able to execute on a corner to take the lead for good.” On Tuesday Sept. 10, the Knights went back to .500 as they lost 5-2 to William Smith College. The Herons, ranked 10th in the nation, took an early 4-0 lead that they were able to hang on to. Senior Kerry Hosford and sophomore Elena Hingston cut the lead to two late in the second half, scoring a goal apiece. At noon on Saturday Sept. 14, Geneseo heads to Canton, N.Y., to take on the Saints of St. Lawrence University (1-2).