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Field hockey posts classic win

What a difference a year makes.

In the final game of the 2008 Mule Classic, played

Senior Kristen Sabia began the drive to the winning goal by winning a ball near midfield.

at Whitehall High School due to construction at Scotty Wood Stadium, the Muhlenberg field hockey team suffered a most unpleasant 7-1 loss to Elizabethtown.

Back on campus, the Mules closed out the 2009 Mule Classic with a most pleasant 1-0 shutout

Freshman Kristen Dornenburg made a big save on a hard blast from the top of the circle with 22:15 left en route to recording her first career shutout.

of the Blue Jays, who were ranked 17th in the Division III preseason poll.

The win closed out a 2-1 opening week in which all three games were decided by one goal and Muhlenberg went 1-1 against nationally ranked teams. The Mules also avenged their other loss in last year’s Mule Classic when they beat Susquehanna on Friday night.

Beating Elizabethtown (1-2), which was shut out only twice all last year, was no easy task. Although the Blue Jays’ advantage in shots was only 10-7, the Muhlenberg defense was under pressure most of the second half. Elizabethtown was awarded 11 penalty corners (to none for the Mules) in the second half. Clutch defensive saves by sophomore Cait Teegarden and junior Amanda DiMarco helped keep the Blue Jays off the scoreboard.

Muhlenberg took both of its second-half shots in one quick rush up the field late in the game. Senior Nicki Notarianni passed the ball from the right wing in to senior Tara Cohn, who fired off a shot that was saved. Cohn quickly collected the rebound and fired it back, and this time the goalie couldn’t stop it. The goal came with 3:12 left, and the Mules killed off the remaining time to preserve the win.
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