LHU Field Hockey opens season in style, downs Queens 7-0
LOCK HAVEN, PA. – The Lock Haven field hockey team (1-0) opened the 2023 season and a new era today at home on Charlotte Smith Field in thrilling fashion as a total-team effort led The Haven to a dominant, 7-0, shutout-victory over visiting Queens (0-2).
The game marked the debut for first-year head coach Anna Rogers and it didn’t take long for her to collect her first career victory.
Rogers was officially announced as Lock Haven’s new head coach on August 9 after seven years as the Bald Eagles’ assistant coach. Rogers is just the fourth head coach since the founding of the Lock Haven field hockey program in 1945 and replaces Pat Rudy – a field hockey coaching legend – who recently announced her retirement after 27 seasons as the head coach at The Haven.
The Bald Eagles jumped on Queens early today, and led 3-0 after the first quarter and it was 4-0 at halftime. Lock Haven added three goals in the final frame much to the delight of a packed crowd.
The seven-goal effort marked the most goals scored in a game for Lock Haven since the Bald Eagles registered six on September 24, 2021 vs. Bellarmine (W, 6-2).
Six different players scored, including Constanza Lopez Zabala (Buenos Aires, Argentina/Colegio Martin y Omar) who knocked home two. She also added an assist.
Brooke Hofsass (Hershey, Pa./Lower Dauphin), Alexis Kern (Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Twp.), Gracyn Catalano (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg), Melanie Beall (York Springs, Pa./Bermudian Springs) and Paula Sigley (York, Pa./York Suburban) all scored for The Haven.
Kern added two assists.
Lopez Zabala opened the scoring just 4:31 in and goals from Kern and Beall made it 3-0 as it was all Haven early and often on the scoresheet.
The shutout was the first for The Haven since a 1-0 win over Richmond last season on October 14, 2022.
Goalkeepers Kelsey Felix (Hallam, Pa./Eastern York) and Hayden Herbold (East Aurora, N.Y./Iroquois) combined for the shutout. Felix got the start and a tremendous defensive effort in front of her didn’t allow a shot in 45 minutes of play. Herbold held it down in the fourth quarter and provided strength on the way to the clean sheet.
Florance de Kroon (Driebergen-Rijsenburg, Netherlands/Jordan Montessori Lyceum Utrecht), Megan Beppler (West Pittson, Pa./Wyoming Area), Elien Bos (Eelde, Netherlands/CSG Augustinus College) and Victoria Beiro (Buenos Aires, Argentina/Instituto Dr. Dalmacio Velez Sarsfield) were among many defensive standouts today.
Dating back to last season, the Bald Eagles have now won 10 straight games at home. Last fall, Lock Haven went a perfect 9-0 at home, marking the first undefeated run at home since 2003. In all, The Haven will host nine home games this season.
UP NEXT:
Lock Haven will host Lehigh on Friday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. on Charlotte Smith Field.
