HARRISONBURG, Va. — James Madison scored twice in the first quarter and held off a strong push from the Bellarmine University field hockey team in the second half Friday as the Dukes defeated the Knights 4-1 in MAC action at JMU Field Hockey Complex.
Bellarmine (2-9, 2-3 MAC) came alive in the third quarter and cut its deficit to 3-1 when
Yasmine Bounoua threaded a pass into the circle for
Dominique Hudson, who tucked a shot past the goalkeeper for her third goal of the season, tying her for the team lead.
Bellarmine came close to further trimming James Madison's advantage, but the Dukes (5-6, 4-1) were able to turn back the Knights. They had a goal just before time expired that padded the final score.
Bellarmine did find itself chasing James Madison almost from the outset. Elena Giangaspero opened the scoring less than two minutes into the contest for the Dukes.
Jamison Madison added a second goal in the opening frame when Brynna Hill located the net. After a scoreless second quarter, Emma Smit boosted the Dukes' lead to 3-0 in the third period before Hudson answered for the Knights.
James Madison's Avery Ruckman capped the scoring when she scored with only two ticks left in the fourth.
James Madison finished with an 18-5 advantage in shots, but the Dukes had just a 6-5 edge in the second half. All five of Bellarmine's attempts came in the third quarter. JMU had an 8-1 advantage in penalty corners, although five came in succession during one second-quarter sequence.
Bellarmine will play at 11 a.m. (ET) Sunday at William & Mary.
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