Nerbonne's Two Late Goals Lift Field Hockey Past Vermont, 3-1

Friday, October 9

Durham, N.H.

4 PM

University of New Hampshire

(5-6, 2-1AE)

University of Vermont

(3-10, 1-2AE)

VERMONT

New Hampshire

Nerbonne's Two Late Goals Lift Field Hockey Past Vermont, 3-1

10/9/2015 6:50:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

DURHAM, N.H. – Lindsey Nerbonne (Bow, N.H.) scored goals 84 seconds apart late in regulation to lift the University of New Hampshire field hockey team to Friday afternoon's 3-1 victory against the University of Vermont at a rain-soaked Memorial Field.

UNH improved to 5-6 overall and 2-1 in America East with its eighth consecutive win in the series vs. Vermont. The Wildcats won the Battle of the 'Cats by recording a 30-2 shot advantage that included 21-0 in the second half and 20-1 on goal (14-0 in the second half), as well as a 13-0 edge in penalty corners.

UVM is now 3-10, 1-2.

With the score tied 1-1, Nerbonne scored at 66:00 and again at 67:24 to increase her team-leading season total to seven. Chandler Giese (Trappe, Pa.) assisted on Nerbonne's game-winning goal and Jessica Schmidt (Warrington, Pa.) set up the next one to record her first career point. Meg Flatley (Townsend, Mass.) potted UNH's other goal.

UNH goalkeeper Melissa Rize (Severn, Md.) was not credited with a save. UVM counterpart Lena Benwood stopped 17 shots, including 14 in the second half. Landon Warren scored the Catamounts' goal.

Flatley scored on the first shot of the game just 45 seconds after the opening whistle on a scrum in the middle of the circle into the cage.

In the 10^th minute, Flatley generated a dangerous counterattack in which she split two defenders and entered the circle on the top right before rolling a hard shot that went wide of the far post.

Three minutes later, UNH generated a corner and a series of passes sent the ball to the top left for Jackie Hozza (Sinking Spring, Pa.), who struck a diagonal shot toward the far post that Meg Carroll (Mansfield, Mass.) redirected wide.

The Wildcats earned another corner in the 17^th minute and this time Hozza's direct shot from the top of the circle bounded wide left. Seven minutes later on yet another corner, Nerbonne blasted a direct shot left of the cage. New Hampshire continued to pressure and Nerbonne's drive from the right side was blocked away by Benwood.

Vermont leveled the score, 1-1, at 27:10. Warren corralled a pass outside the circle and beat a defender to enter on the top left side and fire a low shot inside the right post.

The Wildcats were awarded a corner with seconds remaining in the first half and Gianna Bensaia (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) ripped a shot from the top right wide of the far post.

UNH took a 9-2 shot advantage and 6-0 edge in penalty corners into halftime.

New Hampshire controlled possession the majority of the second half to generate its 21-0 shot advantage and 7-0 edge in corners.

Lynne Lehman (Landisburg, Pa.) almost broke the tie 2:30 into the second half with a rising reverse-stick shot from the middle of the circle that Benwood kicked aside. One minute later on a corner, Bensaia blasted a shot from the top left that was also stopped by Benwood.

In the 46^th minute, a sequence of passes on a corner set up Ashley Mendonca (Brampton, Ontario) in the middle of the circle, but she lifted the ball wide right. Three minutes later on another corner, Mendonca swung the ball from the top of the circle to the left, where Hozza's blast was blocked away by Benwood. UNH sustained pressure and Hozza's rip from the same spot was tipped in front by Bensaia, but Benwood made yet another save to keep the score tied 1-1.

In the 52^nd minute, Carroll's low, hard diagonal pass from the top left was redirected on goal by Katie Audino (Severn, Md.). Benwood made that save, then moments later denied Carroll when she drove down the middle of the circle.

Two minutes later, Nerbonne fired a shot from the top right that rolled wide of the far post. The Wildcats called time out at 55:10 and pressured again in the 57^th minute on a corner, when Mendonca lifted a shot from the middle of the circle that Benwood stopped with her leg pads. UNH cycled the ball to the top left and Benwood made a blocker save on Hozza's rising line drive.

The home 'Cats generated another corner in the 61^st minute and this time Mendonca's direct shot targeted toward the left post was tipped on goal by Flatley, who initiated the play with the insert pass. One minute later, Mendonca's direct shot rolled wide of the left post.

Nerbonne gave UNH a 2-1 lead at 66:00. Giese eluded a defender along the right endline and sent a pass across the goalmouth that was redirected into the open cage by Nerbonne at the left post. She struck again at 67:24 from five yards on the left wing after collecting Schmidt's entry pass.

New Hampshire returns to action Oct. 11 at home against 10^th-ranked Boston College. Game time at Memorial Field is 3 p.m.