Lewiston, Maine -- The University of Lynchburg field hockey team dropped its first matchup of the season on the road to No. 8 Bates, 2-1.
The opening quarter was a defensive stalemate, as neither side managed to pull away. Lynchburg's press continued to cause issues for the Bobcats, but the Hornets couldn't break through to generate quality looks in the circle.
Bates struck first in the second quarter when Sophia Cordoni ripped the Bobcats' fourth shot of the day. Lynchburg goalkeeper Shay Scoones made the initial save, but Cordoni collected her own rebound and fired again, this time finding the back of the cage to put Bates ahead.
The tempo picked up immediately after halftime, with both teams trading chances in an action-packed third quarter. The two sides combined for nine shots in the frame — five from Bates and four from Lynchburg — along with four penalty corners apiece. The Bobcats capitalized midway through the quarter, converting a penalty corner with Ali Apigian's finish to double their advantage.
The Hornets refused to go quietly and dominated the final 15 minutes. Lynchburg controlled the shot column 5-0 and earned four penalty corners while holding Bates without a single attempt. In the closing minutes, Lauren Mark buried a rebound off a penalty corner to put Lynchburg on the board, but the rally came up just short.
Lynchburg will return to the Hill City for its home opener against Mary Washington on Wednesday, Sept. 10, at Shellenberger Field.
Visit Lynchburg athletics' home online, LynchburgSports.com, anytime for up-to-the-minute news on all Hornets sports and coverage from the Lynchburg Hornets Sports Network.
Sign up here to receive Lynchburg Sports news in your email inbox.
Give Lynchburg Athletics a like on Facebook, and follow Lynchburg Athletics on Instagram and X.
--LYN--
