No. 2 Salisbury Survives Seahawks behind Walker Goal
St. Mary's City, Md. - Freshman forward Caitlin Walker (Fallston, Md./Fallston) scored the game-winner with 20:42 left in the contest to help the second-ranked Salisbury University field hockey team start the 2008 campaign with a win on an overcast Friday afternoon in Capital Athletic Conference action.
Sophomore midfielder Kandice Hancock (Westover, Md./Washington) sent in a free hit from just outside the circle to the far left post where Walker deflected the ball just inside the post to break the scoreless tie.
The scoreless draw at halftime marked the first time in the series history between Salisbury and the Seahawks that the Sea Gulls have been held without a goal in the first half.
St. Mary's missed by inches an opportunity to tie the contest at 1-1 with 11:41 on the clock as junior midfielder Amanda Bramble's (Easton, Md./Easton) shot from the top of the circle hit the left post and ricocheted flat across the circle.
The Seahawks continued their aggressive attack in the last 10 minutes of the game, picking up three penalty corners and firing off seven shots. However, sophomore Anna Cooke (Ann Arbor, Mich./Ann Arbor Pioneer) registered four saves during the SMCM flurry, while three others were blocked by the defense.
Salisbury, who is the 13-time defending CAC Champion, was awarded 14 corners to the Seahawks' five, while outshooting St. Mary's, 25-8. All eight Hawk shots came in the second half.
This afternoon's final score was also the first time in the series history that St. Mary's has held the Sea Gulls to just one goal. Before today's game, the fewest goals scored by Salisbury had three on two occasions.
Sophomore Emma Lauhoff (Wayne, Pa./Radnor) finished the contest with a career-best 12 saves, while Cooke ended up with her four second-half stops.
The Seahawks return to action on Tuesday, September 9 when SMCM entertains McDaniel College at 4:30 in Seahawk Stadium for a non-conference contest. No. 2 Salisbury will host No. 10 Christopher Newport University in its next game on Wednesday, September 10 at 6:00.
