Photo by Brandon Johnson

Story by Shelby Dixon

LEXINGTON, Ky.—The Pioneers field hockey team lost a low scoring affair to rival Centre College, 2-0. Despite a strong game in goal by senior Sara Aschbacher and a late offensive push, Transylvania was unable to overcome two goals by Centre's Julie Gates.

After Gates netted her first goal in the second minute, the score remained 1-0 until Gates found the goal again in the 54th minute.

Although the outcome was not ideal, head coach Sarah Humphries was extremely pleased with the effort her team put forth. "Overall, we played phenomenally," she said. "I couldn't have asked for much more except for our girls to score."

Centre's balanced and consistent attack on defense ultimately proved to be too much for Transy on Tuesday night. The Colonels of Centre attacked the Pioneers' defense and net throughout the game, ripping off 15 shots in the first half and 11 in the second. Of the twenty-six shot attempts, 18 were on goal. Aschbacher recorded saves on 16 shots, including several acrobatic and diving stops.

Despite the high number of shots for Centre, the game was never out of reach for the Pioneers' offense, which managed seven shots on the day. They were led by freshman midfielder Jessica Chandler's three shot attempts and senior midfielder Sara Clark's two shots on goal.

The loss does not come from a lack of effort or desire, Humphries pointed out. "The team played a full 70 minutes," Humphries said. "They played with class, they played with heart and they played for each other."

With the loss, Transylvania drops to 1-5 on the season and 0-1 in Southern Athletic Association play. Their season will continue next Wednesday in a rematch against Centre. The game will be played in Danville, Ky.