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Millersville

Megan Alvarez
3
Winner Millersville MILLERSV (1-0, 0-0)
1
Pace PACE (0-1, 0-0)
Winner
Millersville MILLERSV
(1-0, 0-0)
3
Final
1
Pace PACE
(0-1, 0-0)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Millersville MILLERSV 3 0 0 0 3
Pace PACE 0 0 0 1 1

Game Recap: Field Hockey | | Dane Sabarese, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant

Marauders’ strong first quarter lifts them past Pace in season opener

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. --- Millersville field hockey (1-0) scored three goals in the opening quarter of their season-opener against Pace University (0-1) and held that lead the remainder of the game to collect their first win of the 2025 season. 

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Marauders opened the 2025 campaign strong with an offensive onslaught that lasted the entire first quarter and took the lead just 2:13 minutes into the game when, after a corner insert from Daina Thomson, graduate student and transfer Alexis Kern found the back of the net for her first goal in the black and gold. Just three minutes later, senior Emma Ruley continued her strong offensive performance from last year and extended the Marauders' lead to two. To cap off the strong first quarter, sophomore Megan Alvarez recorded her first collegiate goal off a penalty stroke to give the Marauders a 3-0 lead going into the second quarter.

Pace's offense found its groove in the second quarter with great scoring opportunities and three corners granted, but all eyes were on Millersville's strong defense, which turned away the scoring attempts and held the Setters to one shot on goal, which was saved by senior Sarah Crysler.

After halftime, the tempo picked up for the Marauders offensively as they channeled some of that first-quarter success and came out of the break with two generated corners and three shots on goal within the first five minutes of action. Pace's goalie made four saves in the third quarter to hold the Marauders' attackers at bay.

The Setters outshot the Marauders 9-3 in the final quarter of the contest, and the shooting gallery turned out to be too much for the Marauders when, with five minutes left in regulation, Pace found the back of the net, erasing Millersville's defensive shutout.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

  • Alexis Kern led the Marauders with five shots, all of which were on target, followed by Emma Ruley (4) and Erin Esterhuizen (3).
  • Megan Alvarez and Alexis Kern both scored their first goals as Marauders, and Emma Ruley continued to build off her strong 2024 campaign and netted one of her own.
  • Sarah Crysler ended the game with seven saves on eight total shots on goal.
  • The Marauders took 18 shots, 14 of which found the frame of the net.
POSTGAME WITH COACH BEHRENS: 
  • After mentioning shifting training focus on scoring goals, What can you say about the offensive performance put on by your team today? 
    • "I really think that we had some great energy at the start of the first quarter. We created some goal-scoring opportunities and found the back of the net a couple of times, so I think that was great. Not only that, I thought that even though we didn't score after that, each quarter we were creating opportunities. It was second and third shots which is what I really liked. It was really, really a good job by everyone today. "
  • Seven corners today with only eight shots total, I know the offense will take a lot of the credit for today's win, but how did you see the defense show up today? 
    • "I thought our defense was solid everywhere on the field, and then I think that as the game went along, we lost a little bit of the structure that was giving us the success early on, and we made some decisions that weren't great that put us in some runs. On the opposite of that, they were really pushing. They wanted a goal, and they did end up getting one, but I really do think that we did a good job today. I thought the corner defense was great, and I really appreciated that everywhere our team defense was really good." 
  • You were able to get some of the younger players in there logging their first collegiate minutes like Teagan Byler, Aftyn Robbins to name a few, what can you say about the importance of these younger players being able to get some experience early for your team? 
    • "I think it is invaluable. Nothing replicates a game like a game, and I think they've earned their minutes, all of them. I actually had some athletes on the bench that I wanted to get in more, so it's just a matter of finding our mojo together and our substitutions and lines with how we want to shift some things around. But I think the young kids are doing a great job. If you look at them, I think you can say, 'Oh, I don't think that kid is a Freshman.' That is a testament to how hard they are working and also to their teammates. It was a solid team win today against a very good Pace team. For us, we just regroup and come out tomorrow at home!" 
UP NEXT
  • Millersville will be back in action tomorrow night, September 5, with its home opener against American International.

 
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