Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Bellarmine University Athletics

Sara Wilder
Garry Jones
4
Winner Limestone College LC (11-8)
2
Bellarmine BU (12-7)
Winner
Limestone College LC
(11-8)
4
Final
2
Bellarmine BU
(12-7)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Limestone College LC 3 1 4
Bellarmine BU 1 1 2

Game Recap: Field Hockey | | by John Spugnardi, Sports Information Director

Knights drop 4-2 decision to Limestone in ECAC semifinals

NEWBERRY, S.C.—Despite winning virtually all the statistical battles, the Bellarmine Knights field hockey team lost the most important one—goals scored—as Limestone took a 4-2 victory today in the semifinals of the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship at Setzler Field on the campus of Newberry College.
 
The Knights owned advantages in shots (11-4), shots on goal (9-4) and penalty corners (15-2), but the Saints converted all four shots they took to claim the victory.
 
Limestone started out with bang, scoring three goals in the game's first 12 and a half minutes. The Knights got one back less than a minute after the Saints' third goal as Merit Harris converted a pass from Alex Ginter.
 
The scoring died down after the Knights' goal, and the teams went into halftime with Limestone leading 3-1. 
 
After the break, it was more of the same, with the Knights forcing the action with little offensive success. Limestone struck first in the final period when Marina Jozokos fired a shot from just inside the top of the circle.
 
Bellarmine trimmed the lead to 4-2 with just under six minutes remaining when Sara Wilder rifled a shot from the left side of the circle that beat Limestone goalie Tabria Cochran.
 
"We had a lot of opportunities early, middle and late," said Bellarmine Coach Mark Blankenbaker. "We had multiple games this year that we won the stats battle and lost the game. Offensively, we put three balls in the cage, and in most games that's good enough to win. We had one called off, which came at a bad time."
 
On the defensive side, Blankenbaker said he was happy with the team's performance. "We need to stop shots on goal," he said. "We only allowed four shots to a good team, and I'll take four shots a game every time."
 
The Knights slip to 12-7 while the Saints improve to 11-8.  Bellarmine will face the loser of the Lindenwood-Mercy semifinal at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday in the third place game, and Limestone will play the winner in the championship game at 1 p.m.
 
"Today was a tough loss," Blankenbaker added. "We need to come back Sunday focused to finish the season strong."
 
BOX SCORE (HTM)
 
 
Print Friendly Version