(SWEET BRIAR, Va.) – The season couldn't have started much better for the Wilson field hockey team as it scored a shutout on the road against Sweet Briar on Friday afternoon. A powerful, balanced attack saw the Phoenix score once in each quarter while the defense swarmed the Vixens and allowed them just two shots in the final three frames.
The Basics
Score: Wilson 4, Sweet Briar 0
Venue: Thayer Field
Records: Wilson 1-0, Sweet Briar 0-1
How It Happened
- While the bulk of the shots came from the sticks for the Blue and White, it was the hosts who had the first scoring opportunities with a trio of shots midway through the first quarter. Two went wide while one was blocked near the eight-minute mark. Wilson was able to counter with a blocked shot from Haley Hamrick (So., Taneytown, Md. / Union Bridge) followed by a pair of saved attempts from Kate Seymour (Jr., Churchton, Md. / Southern) and Paige Ney (Sr., Biglerville, Pa. / Biglerville). Seymour eventually got the Phoenix on the scoreboard as she found the back of the cage in the final minute of the period.
- Momentum built up from there and it didn't take Wilson long to capitalize. Its first penalty corner was awarded early in the second and the Phoenix made it count as Payton Kendall (Sr., McConnellsburg, Pa. / Forbes Road) scored on the assist from Madison Hamrick (So., Taneytown, Md. / Francis Scott Key).
- Wilson kept the pressure on and added five more penalty corners in the third quarter and scored again on the last of those as Lizzie Landon (Sr., West Grove, Pa. / Avon Grove) hit paydirt for a 3-0 lead. She wasn't finished as she scored her second of the game after battling for possession in front of the cage midway through the fourth to set up the final score.
Inside The Numbers
- Landon's two-goal game was the second of her career and first since she tallied a pair in a home win against Meredith during the 2023 season.
- Seymour's multiple-point game was the eighth of her career.
- Defensively Erin Sullivan (So., Byram, N.J. / Lenape Valley) and Ashley Welker (FY, Norfolk, Va. / Maury) shared the shutout. Welker was called upon once and provided Wilson's lone save as a stellar back line led by Kendall, Hannah Bost (Jr., Manheim, Pa. / Manheim Central), Madison Hamrick, and Rebekah Tuckey (So., Biglerville, Pa. / Biglerville) severely limited the hosts' chances.
- Wilson outshot Sweet Briar by a count of 20-5 overall and 12-1 in shots on goal. Penalty corners were also in favor of the Phoenix by an 8-3 margin.
- This is the eight-consecutive season-opening victory for the Phoenix. Six of those have been shutouts.
- This is the 15th consecutive victory over former conference foe Sweet Briar. The Phoenix have shutout the Vixens in the previous four contests.
Up Next
The Phoenix will head to Annville to take on Lebanon Valley on Wednesday. The game is slated for a 7 p.m. start.
