CENTER VALLEY, PA (October 19, 2024) -- Trailing 1-0 at halftime, the King's College field hockey team stumbled in the third quarter on their way to a 4-1 setback at DeSales University in Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) play on Saturday afternoon. With the loss, the Monarchs fall to 4-11 overall and 0-3 in the MAC Freedom, while the Bulldogs improved to 5-9 with a 1-2 conference mark.
 
It was an evenly-matched first quarter with DeSales (5-9, 1-2 MAC Freedom) making their run early, totaling five shots and a corner before King's (4-11, 0-3 MAC Freedom) returned fire with two shots and four penalty corners, all in the first 8:24 of the game. The Monarchs had two great looks in the 11^th minute, but the first shot by Shaylee Heffron was saved by Rebecca Bogdewicz and Alyssa Schlossman thwarted a penalty stroke by Davina Krappa to keep the game scoreless. The Bulldogs broke through late in the period on a goal with 1:40 to play before the first break.
 
King's had the edge in the second, out shooting DeSales 4-1 and posting a 3-2 edge in penalty corners including a flurry starting in the 24^th minute, but the Monarchs came up shy and maintained their 1-0 deficit at halftime.
 
The Bulldogs wasted no time in the third, scoring 3:45 into the frame before tallying another in the 39^th minute and their final goal with 2:41 left in the third to take a daunting 4-0 lead.
 
Another tightly-contested fourth quarter saw the Monarchs fight to get on the board. In the 54^th minute Heffron took a penalty corner, and the ball found its way to Reagan Joiner who sent it in to Krappa to find the back of the cage and close within 4-1 with 5:07 remaining. It was too little too late as the Bulldogs held on to hand the Monarchs their 4-1 loss in the MAC Freedom contest.
 
Krappa had a team-high three shots to go with her goal, while Joiner picked up her first career point on the assist. Heffron, Melanie Tlatenchi, Emma Clark, and Rowan Murray all added a pair of shots in the setback. Emily Bollinger collected the loss, making eight saves through the first 41:29 of the contest.
 
Maddie Trocki led DeSales with a pair of goals on nine shots, while both Delani Remp and Brynn Balliet found the back of the cage in the win. Alyssa Schlossman went the distance in the cage, posting six saves.
 
King's faced a slight 20-12 edge in shots and a 13-8 deficit in shots on goal in the contest while holding an 11-6 advantage in penalty corners.
 
The Monarchs will return home to McCarthy Stadium to open a two-game home stand, first hosting Misericordia University on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m.