PINE VALLEY, N.Y. (August 31, 2018) – Host Elmira College scored two goals in each half to defeat the King's College field hockey team 4-1 in the season opener on Friday afternoon at the Murray Athletic Center.

The Monarchs were able to fight off two early penalty corners by the Soaring Eagles before Kelsey Gabriele took the first shot of the game which went wide. The Eagles were able to score on their third penalty corner of the game when Matilda Kennedy-Butler tipped in a pass from Mae Dinh at the 6:13 mark.

The Eagles were able to force another penalty corner around the 10-minute mark and got two shots off but the first one was blocked by the King's defense and Brianne Maluda saved the second. The Monarch offense responded with two shots on goal by Gabriele and Kelley O'Keefe in the 15th minute but Elmira's keeper Tina O'Donnell was able to knock both shots away.

Kelsie Aloi gave Elmira a 2-0 lead in the 24th minute when she knocked the ball into the right corner of the cage off a pass from Diane LeRoy in the middle of the circle. The Monarchs had a good opportunity to cut the deficit in half in the 28th minute when they received their first penalty corner of the game but a shot from Gabriele was blocked and then O'Donnell picked up another save off the stick of Hannah Robbins. The Monarchs kept the pressure on the Eagle defense but another shot from Gabriele was blocked and O'Keefe shot off a penalty corner was knocked away by O'Donnell.

The Eagles increased their lead just a couple minutes into the second half when Kennedy-Butler picked up a rebound off a save by Maluda and knocked the ball into the back off the cage for her second goal of the game. A few minutes later she would complete the hat trick giving Elmira a 4-0 lead when she tipped in a pass from Emily Selbert off a penalty corner.

The Monarchs put pressure on the Eagles defense but struggled to get the ball pass O'Donnell as she made saves off a shot from O'Keefe and a penalty stroke by Gabriele in the 44th minute. In the 46th minute King's was able to score and cut the lead to 4-1 when Jolee Treslar scored her first collegiate goal and Hannah Robbins recorded her first collegiate assist.

The Monarch offense continued pressing to score more but O'Donnell and the Elmira defense turned away all attempts including another penalty stroke save in the 54th minute.

King's outshot Elmira 30-9 in the game including 23-3 in the second half. They also held a 10-8 advantage in penalty corner. Tina O'Donnell made 15 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Eagles.

Kelsey Gabriele led the Monarchs in shots with 14 including eight on goal. Jolee Treslar scored the lone goal for the Monarchs while taking five shots. Brianne Maluda made two saves in goal.

The Soaring Eagles were led by Matilda Kennedy-Butler with three goals on three shots.

The Monarchs will be back in action Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. in Gwynedd Valley, PA to take on Gwynedd Mercy University in more non-conference action.