Freshman forward Jess Rusin led Quinnipiac’s field hockey team to a 3-1 win over the Sacred Heart Pioneers at Campus Field on Sunday. Rusin scored two goals in the field hockey team’s first Northeast Conference matchup of the season.
“They were aggressively poised,” Quinnipiac head coach Becca Kohli said of her team. “That’s what you want your team to be. They handled the pressure of their first conference game as a young squad and really played beyond their years.”
Tied at 1 heading into the second half, Rusin took control of the field. Less than five minutes into the last half, Rusin scored the winning goal. Junior forward Kaitlyn Notarianni passed to Rusin, who spun and sent the ball past Pioneer goalie Kim Stow, putting the Bobcats up 2-1.
Thirteen minutes later, Rusin posted an insurance goal. After a blocked shot by Kimberly Cunniff, Rusin picked up the rebound and fired it in the back of the net.
“We came to win,” Rusin said. “The thrill of our first NEC game prompted the hunger that each athlete brought to the field, leading us to victory.”
The Pioneers opened up the scoring in the game at 11:56 of the first half. Forward Alex Melillo received a pass from Dana Luhrs, and one-timed the ball into the net past Bobcat goalie Nicole Lewis.
The Bobcats answered that goal in the 31st minute, when sophomore forward Kristin Engelke picked up the rebound on her own shot, and rocketed the ball past Stow to tie up the score.
After the win, the Bobcats are 5-6 in regular season play and 1-0 in the NEC, while the Pioneers fell to 1-9 (0-1 NEC).
