INDIANA, Pa. – The Frostburg State field hockey team knocked off No. 7 IUP on the road Saturday afternoon, winning via penalty shootout after a 3-3 tie with two overtimes.
FSU would get off to a hot start, with sophomore Caroline Earnshaw forcing a save 25 seconds into play and earning a corner. Senior Morgan Sparks would send the ball to the top of the arc and a second pass would find sophomore Sabrina Madonado for the opening goal. IUP would switch the field and go on the attack, earning three corners and four shots over the next four minutes, however freshman goalkeeper Jenna Yazzetti would stand tall, coming up with two saves. As things went back-and-forth, sophomore Ava Shorkey set a shot wide before two more corners were given to Frostburg, however neither produced a shot. In the final minute of the period, the Crimson Hawks would have a shot charged down by Yazzetti to maintain a 1-0 lead.
The second quarter would see continued pressure from Indiana, earning three corners in the first three minutes, with Yazzetti denying another shot and a second going wide. FSU moved up the field a couple minutes later, where Shorkey hit another shot off of the mark. Continuing to keep her team in the lead, Yazzetti made back-to-back stops on corners just seconds apart midway through the frame. Frostburg flipped control in the final five minutes of the quarter, starting with sophomore Makenna Buffington going on a solo run and finding the back of the cage to double the advantage. Just over a minute later, sophomore Brooke Saul would add in another goal, making it 3-0 heading into the half.
IUP would come out a different team in the second half, earning an early corner from which junior Taylor Korczynski had to clear a shot off the line. The Crimson Hawks continued to press and finally earned their first goal five minutes into the period, then just two and a half minutes later, another corner paved the way for a second score to suddenly pull within 3-2. Yazzetti just about stood on her head to keep out a trio of shots in the next three minutes, with Frostburg clinging onto the lead. Still, the Bobcat defense was able to hold firm, blocking the final effort of the quarter to stay ahead by one.
Having fended off the constant pressure, FSU would have a pair of chances in the fourth to add to the lead, with freshman Alayna Enoff and senior Avery Hayden forcing two saves. Indiana struggled to break down Frostburg's defense, being limited to just one effort going wide off a corner. As time ticked down, a late turnover allowed IUP to get a corner with one second remaining, where they were able to keep the ball alive and beat Yazzetti and a player on the goal line for a dramatic equalizer, sending things to overtime at 3-3.
The first period of overtime would see the Crimson Hawks controlling the scoring opportunities, as Yazzetti would come up with two saves to keep FSU alive. In the second extra period, Shorkey had a great chance on a breakaway but was blocked by Celeste Pagliaroli in goal. The Bobcats would hold off a late surge from the hosts, repelling a trio of corners as Yazzetti tacked on another save, bringing the contest down to a penalty shootout.
Taking the ball first, Sparks would go left and finish with a backhand goal to put the Bobcats in front. Yazzetti forced a miss on the next attempt, however Frostburg was also denied, allowing IUP tie things at 1-1. On the third shot, freshman Izzy Gibbons would go right and come up with a score, with Yazzetti holding firm on the next one. Senior Mikyla Rineer was taken down by Pagliaroli on her attempt, earning a much easier deadball stroke and firing home. With the Crimson Hawks needing a score to stay alive, Yazzetti dove and poked the ball away and out of play to seal the 4-3 victory.
With the win Frostburg moves to 4-4 on the season and handed Indiana their first loss at 5-1. The Bobcats will next host Bloomsburg on Saturday, October 3 at 2 PM to open PSAC play. For more information, please visit frostburgsports.com.
