Carlisle, Pa. -- The University of Lynchburg field hockey team wasted no time getting on the board in a Sunday afternoon road game at Dickinson College with a score off the stick of senior defender Aaryn Boatwright 42 seconds into the contest that would set the pace for a 3-2 victory.
For the second straight game Boatwright has gotten on the board for the 23rd-ranked Hornets, now leading the team with three goals and eight points while making her normal contributions on the defensive end as well.
The senior got in on the action again a few moments later when she assisted on a goal by her classmate and fellow defender Ryleigh Cameron to put Lynchburg up by two scores just 6:29 into the game.
Through its first two contests, Lynchburg has yet to trail and has spent just 1:49 of game time tied.
Following the Lynchburg score, Dickinson earned four straight penalty corners before getting on the board with just under 5:00 remaining in the quarter. The Red Devils drew five corners to Lynchburg's two in the frame as part of a 12-8 advantage in the game.
Lynchburg opened the second period with a consistent attack in Dickinson territory before action cooled throughout the middle of the quarter. Marlou Wendriks eventually found the back of the cage late in the quarter off of a corner that would give the Hornets the offense needed for the victory.
The goal was the second of the day off of a set piece and assists were credited both to Cameron and Danielle Coon.
The Lynchburg score was the only one in a second quarter that saw just six total shots and 26 combined fouls, 18 going against the Hornets.
Lynchburg committed 55 fouls on the day after giving up just 24 in its season-opening victory over Lebanon Valley. In all, there were 92 fouls, 20 corners, and two green cards between the two teams on Sunday.
Dickinson generated a pair of opportunities to score before the end of the half but both were stopped by goalkeeper Kayla Brady and the Lynchburg defense to keep the advantage at 3-1 Lynchburg entering the break.
Dickinson carried its late-second quarter pressure into the third, getting off four shots before Lynchburg got its first attempt at the cage.
Brady made two of her three saves on the day in the third frame and starting Dickinson goalkeeper Olivia Renault made a pair of stops as well in a third quarter that saw both teams fail to add points to the board.
Lynchburg flipped the field and became the aggressor over the second half of the third quarter but failed to convert on any of its four attempts.
Dickinson made a substitution at goalie to begin the fourth quarter, sending in Taylor Schlein to monitor the cage for the remainder of regulation.
The Red Devils found their second goal of the game early in the fourth quarter to draw within one score but was unable to find the equalizer down the stretch.
Lynchburg got off four shots within two minutes following the Dickinson score, but three were saved by Schlein, and the fourth was blocked by the Red Devil defense.
Dickinson's best chance to tie came with less 15 seconds remaining in the contest on a breakaway run but the Lynchburg defense prevented the hosts from getting a shot off before the final horn sounded.
The Hornets (2-0) have won back-to-back games away from home to begin the 2023 season and have extended their regular season road winning streak to nine games dating back to September 14, 2022.
Next up for head coach Enza Steele's squad will be the home-opener against Ursinus on Saturday, Sept. 9.
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