WILKES-BARRE, PA (October 23, 2019) -- Despite trailing 2-0 after the first quarter, the resilient King's College field hockey team rallied twice to earn a huge 4-3 home Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) victory over local rival Wilkes University in league play from McCarthy Stadium.
With the win, the Monarchs (6-10, 2-3 MAC Freedom) pull themselves into a four-way tie for third place in the playoff standings, deadlocked with Stevens Institute of Technology, Wilkes and Misericordia University.
After trailing twice in the game, the Monarchs pulled even at three apiece early in the fourth quarter on
Danielle Runo's second goal of the evening, thanks to a great driven ball in from
Hannah Robbins at 51:22 of the game.
Just over four minutes later, King's was awarded two penalty corners and cashed in on the second on a perfectly executed play. Junior
Lauren Rowski inserted short to sophomore
Emily Sims, who pulled back a pass to the middle for Robbins. The sophomore captain fired a bouncing shot that missed two tip attempts in front, but snuck through the pads of Wilkes goalkeeper Vanessa Damgaard for the game-winner.
The big goal wouldn't have been possible though if it wasn't for a first-half rally that came after Wilkes (9-8, 2-3 MAC Freedom) tallied twice in the first 10:38 of the game. Following the second goal, King's began to mount some offense before finally getting on the board in the 23rd minute on a
Bailey DeLellis goal. The score was her third of the season.
Minutes later at 28:13 of the game, King's tied the game for the first time on the night, as Runo tipped in a great cross from the right off the stick of junior
Jolee Treslar.
After the break, Maddie Kelley gave the Colonels the lead once more at 3-2, as she tipped in a shot from the top-left of the arc from Morghan Murphy at 44:18 of the game.
In the fourth, King's had a couple of good chances early in the stanza, including a scorching shot from
Lexi Prowker on a corner that was saved by Damgaard with her stick. King's would continue to pressure, before Runo scored to tie the game and set up the late game heroics by Robbins.
King's outshot its visitors on the night 19-10, while holding a slight 10-8 edge in shots on goal. Wilkes led the penalty corner battle 8-7 in a game that a combined 97 fouls on each team. Junior goalkeeper
Brianne Maluda made five saves for the Monarchs in goal, while her counterpart from Wilkes stopped six shots.
King's will look to keep its momentum going Saturday on the road, traveling to conference-leading FDU-Florham (14-2, 5-0 MAC Freedom) for a 1 p.m. tilt in Madison, NJ in MAC Freedom play.
--MONARCHS--
