Annville, Pa. -- Aaryn Boatwright scored twice and Kayla Brady saved all six shots she faced as the Lynchburg field hockey team opened its season with a 4-0 road victory Saturday afternoon over Lebanon Valley.
Brady recorded her first save of the season 33 seconds into the game, putting an end to the opening Lebanon Valley possession. On the ensuing play, the 23rd-ranked Hornets moved down the field before senior defender Ryleigh Cameron scored what would be the winning goal on an assist from Boatwright.
Cameron's tally to open the season matched her season total from a season ago while her fellow all-conference defender Boatwright tied a career-high in goals and set a new career-best with five points in total.
Lynchburg went on to tally another goal in the opening frame through a penalty corner off the stick of Boatwright with the helper coming from sophomore midfielder Meike Ottjes.
Ottjes gave coach Enza Steele's squad 51 minutes off the bench in the season-opener as part of a game which saw 24 Hornets make an appearance and 18 record 30 minutes of action or more.
Lynchburg got out to advantages of 5-2 in shots and 6-1 in penalty corners en route to a 2-0 lead after 15 minutes of action.
The fighting dutchmen opened the second quarter by generating an opportunity off a penalty corner but the shot was denied by Brady in goal for the third time on the day. The reigning first-team all-conference goalkeeper made a pair of saves in each the first, second, and third quarters.
The first quarter score held through the remainder of the half as each team put two shots on goal but failed to reach the back of the cage.
The Hornets dominated time of possession in the third quarter, running out to a 3-0 shot advantage in the frame that helped the squad to a 13-6 disparity in that category for the game.
Boatwright picked up her second goal of the day with 7:20 remaining in the third quarter on an unassisted effort to send Lynchburg into the fourth quarter holding a 3-0 advantage.
After their first penalty corner of the fourth quarter was stifled by a Lebanon Valley save, Lynchburg was able to get out in transition courtesy of a pass break up and long feed into the attacking half by freshman midfielder Khanyisile Mzizi that found fellow first-year Lauren Mark with only the goalie to beat.
Lebanon Valley goalkeeper Lauren Jancsarics made a save on Mark's initial shot, but the freshman controlled her miss and found the back of the cage on the second opportunity for her first collegiate goal.
Mzizi was active on the day despite finishing without a point, breaking up a number of passes defensively and factoring in a number of Lynchburg's offensive sets after earning the start in her first collegiate contest.
The hosts were able to generate some opportunities offensively in the latter stages of the fourth, taking four penalty corners in the final four minutes of action but none resulted in goals.
Brady made her fifth and sixth stops in goal to complete the opening-day shutout for a Hornets team which held its opponents scoreless on six occasions in the 2022 campaign.
The goalkeeper went wire-to-wire alongside junior midfielder Madison Mark in playing all 60 of the game's minutes.
Lebanon Valley was able to put all of its shots on goal but was held to just six opportunities by Brady and a dominant Lynchburg defense that applied consistent pressure throughout the game.
Lynchburg (1-0) continues its season-opening roadtrip Sunday with a journey to Carlisle, Pa. to face Dickinson.
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