Johnson Makes Six Saves in 2-0 Loss to #9 Saint Joseph's

Sunday, August 31

Durham, N.H.

2 PM

University of New Hampshire

(0-2)

Saint Joseph's

(2-0)

Saint Joseph's

New Hampshire

Photo by: Alex Miller

8/31/2025 5:30:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score Photo Gallery

DURHAM, N.H. – Sophomore goalie Abby Johnson (Walpole, Mass.) made six saves but the University of New Hampshire field hockey team was upended 2-0 by ninth-ranked Saint Joseph's University at Memorial Field on Sunday afternoon.

Johnson made four of her six saves in the fourth quarter.

SJU goalie Paige Kieft was also credited with six saves. Ava Smith and Emily Tammaro scored both Hawks' goals on penalty corners.

UNH, which was edged 4-3 by 11^th-ranked UConn on Friday, moves to 0-2 while Saint Joseph's, which defeated UConn by shootout on Saturday, improves to 2-0.

UP NEXT

UNH returns to action Sept. 5 (1 p.m.) at Miami (Ohio).

The Wildcats' next home game is Sept. 21 (1 p.m.) against intrastate rival Dartmouth College for Alumni Day.

FIRST QUARTER

Both teams recorded one shot in the opening 15 minutes and Saint Joseph's capitalized on the only penalty corner of the frame to take a 1-0 lead.
In the fifth minute, UNH recorded the first shot of the game when Tasmin Cookman (London, England) struck a reverse-stick shot from the top of the circle that sailed over the crossbar.

On that SJU corner, Tammaro pushed the ball in to Adele Jardemar on a short corner and her shot was redirected into the cage by Smith at 5:56.

SECOND QUARTER

Neither team recorded another shot until UNH's Johnson denied Cat Arentz nine minutes into the second quarter.
The Wildcats generated their first penalty corner of the game at 27:38, which produced a shot by Marlijn Swaan (Hilversum, Netherlands) that was turned aside by Kieft.

Moments later, Kieft also denied Kathelijne Knuttel (Groningen, Netherlands) to preserve the Hawks' one-goal lead.

THIRD QUARTER

The Wildcats pressured in the 34^th minute. A shot by Faye Meijer (Purmerend, Netherlands.) was stopped by Kieft but resulted in a corner. Swaan's shot from the top of the circle was blocked away by a charging defender, but that resulted in another UNH corner. This time, SJU's defense prevented another Wildcat shot.

New Hampshire was awarded another corner at 37:58. Meijer's shot deflected off the stick of a defender and the crossbar to keep the score 1-0.

FOURTH QUARTER

Saint Joseph's – Smith, specifically – pressured early in the fourth quarter. Smith's initial shot from deep on the left side was stopped by Johnson. SJU sustained pressure in the circle, which led to another shot from the right side by Smith. Johnson knocked down that shot and also stopped Smith's rebound for three saves in an 18-second span.
Saint Joseph's earned another corner at 48:58 and once again Smith was denied by Johnson.
SJU transformed its next corner into a goal when Jardemar's shot from the top of the circle was redirected into the cage by Tammaro at the left post at 50:32.
UNH earned a corner in the 53^rd minute but Kieft turned away Meijer's shot to keep the margin at two goals.

With 3:15 remaining, Nicole Poulakis (Ajax, Ontario) advanced past the defense on the right side near the end line, and her rising blast from seven yards was stopped by Kieft.

UNH NOTEBOOK

Dating back to last season, Knuttel had recorded a point in six consecutive games. She tallied two assists in this year's season opener after ending the 2025 season on a five-game point streak.

GAME NOTEBOOK