LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Bellarmine field hockey team suffered a 5-0 loss to James Madison during a gloomy morning and early afternoon Sunday at Trager Stadium.
 
Bellarmine (2-13, 2-5 MAC) took another blow to their chances of making their first MAC Championship field with two conference games remaining. The Knights stay outside of the top six, pending the result of the Kent State-Central Michigan game later today, while James Madison (9-7, 4-3 MAC) sits in the fourth spot.
 
James Madison cracked the scoreboard with just under 10 minutes gone in the game. On the Dukes' second penalty corner, Skyler Brown accepted a pass from Jola Ollrogge, made a move around a Knights defender and snuck it past Knights goalie Kailey Workman in the right corner of the cage for an early 1-0 lead.
 
Brynna Hill netted JMU's second score halfway through the second quarter with a sweeping backhanded shot from the top of the circle on a fast break. Ollrogge stole the ball from the Knights a moment before and sent an accurate pass to Hill to set her up for her first goal of the season.
 
Azul Covarrubias increased the visitors' lead to three on a penalty corner with 2:28 left in the first half. She accepted the stick stop from Ollrogge and beat Workman in the left side of the cage from just to the left of the top of the circle. Ollrogge and Hill, who inserted the penalty corner, were awarded assists.
 
Julie Narleski started the second half scoring for the Dukes with 9:27 left in the third. Hill passed the ball quickly into the circle after a foul by Bellarmine, finding Narleski in front of the cage to earn her second assist of the day.
 
Bellarmine finally earned their a penalty corner with nine minutes gone in the second half. Brooke Buchanan inserted to Alicia Hudson, who shot deep from the left shoulder of the circle, but Hannah Popolis made a sliding save to her right to thwart the Knights' scoring opportunity.
 
Puck Jansen netted the fifth and final goal of the day on a penalty corner that was initially well defended by Bellarmine. Covarrubias feigned a sweeping shot from the top of the circle after the stick stop. Instead, Ollrogge sent it toward the cage, but it was blocked by Luna Tuncay. Jansen, however, gathered the loose ball and sent it into the left corner of the cage for her second goal of the season and first since the Dukes' season opener.
 
James Madison had 11 penalty corner opportunities to Bellarmine's one and outshot the Knights 28-3, 16-2 on goal. Mira Alcorn and Eve Gladys fired the Knights' two additional shots after Hudson's.
 
One game after matching a career high with 14 saves, Workman tallied 11 to give her double-digit saves for the fourth time this season.
 
Bellarmine now prepares for a road trip to face Massachusetts Friday at 4 p.m. ET and then Bryant on Sunday at 12 p.m. ET for their final nonconference game of the regular season.
 
For more coverage of Bellarmine athletics, follow the Knights on X, Instagram and Facebook.