Vermont Field Hockey nearly ties single game season-high with eight goals against Queens
Alicia Battistelli’s hat trick lifts Vermont to 8-0 win; Vermont women’s soccer also takes down Maine 2-0
BURLINGTON, Vt. —
University of Vermont weekend closed out with solid outings from two of its Catamount teams.
Vermont field hockey started the day with an 8-0 romping of Queens University of Charlotte. The eight goals nearly tied a single-game season-high of nine the Catamounts scored against the Long Island University Sharks earlier this season.
This performance was one Vermont field hockey head coach Kate Pfeifer said was inspired by redemption, after losing in a 1-0 overtime loss to the University of New Hampshire on Friday, Oct. 2.
“They were ready to rebound from Friday’s game,” Pfeifer said. “That was the first game we were held scoreless all season, and I think today they were really hungry to just get back to the way we play field hockey.”
Alicia Battistelli led the way with a game-high three goals, picking up her second hat trick of the season. The feat was all the more impressive, earning all three goals while playing through a black mask providing protection for her face after a nose injury in an earlier game against Dartmouth College.
“Alicia is a really special leader for us,” Pfeifer said. “She is dealing with a lot in terms of trying to make sure that the mask is something that doesn’t prevent her from seeing the ball … but she hasn’t skipped a beat in training and in her play, which has been incredible for the team to see. Her resilience is just something that she leads with every day.”
Veerle Nijhuis and Fiona McMahon also added a pair of goals apiece while Consu De Castro also added a goal of her own. Vermont generated a whopping 18 penalty corners in the win, which was a critical piece that allowed the Catamounts to create several scoring opportunities throughout the game.
“Penalty corners are super important,” Battistelli said. “Every time we get into the attacking 25, we’re trying to have a positive outcome. Whether it’s a corner, a shot, a goal, we’re just really fighting for that and putting constant back pressure on every loose ball and repossessing immediately.”
Vermont’s defense was also elite, not allowing a single shot from Queens all afternoon. It led to Ila Gunner picking up a clean sheet in the net in 45 minutes of work before being subbed out for Milou Nijveldt, who played the final 15 minutes.
Vermont women’s soccer also got in the win column after a 2-1 win against the University of Maine. Madleine Gardner and Eleni Stowell each scored a goal in one half apiece while Maine scored their goal on a Vermont own goal.
Vermont goalkeeper Sophia Kling was otherwise perfect in net outside the one own goal, snagging three saves in a full 90 minutes of work.
See the highlights from both Catamount teams in the video above.