CASTLETON, Vt. – Host Castleton scored just 183 seconds in and didn't look back to defeat Russell Sage College 7-0 this afternoon.
The Spartans (7-4), which had four players register multiple points in non-conference victory, held advantages of 26-7 on shots and 11-4 on penalty corners across the 60 minutes.
Junior goalkeeper Jaia Caron (Bellows Falls, VT/Bellows Falls Union) (Loss, 1-7), who began the week ranked fifth nationally with 12.83 saves-per game, tops in the Empire 8 Conference, and freshman goalkeeper/midfielder Olivia Brand (Little Falls, NY/Little Falls), announced as receiving an honorable mention for the National Field Hockey Coaches Association's Defensive Player of the Week earlier today, combined for 10 saves. Midfielder Alexa Wentz (Whitney Point, NY/ Whitney Point), a grad student, took six of the seven RSC shots.
Looking ahead, RSC (1-8) hosts SUNY Brockport on Saturday afternoon.
Gator Bites: The fall marks the first with Head Coach Carissa Warren leading the Gators…She arrived to Albany from two-time defending Empire 8 Conference Champion Hartwick…RSC delivered Warren her first career victory on September 27, a 7-0 E8 shutout of visiting Elmira…The Gators made the E8 Championship Tournament for the first time in 2023…11 players, including All-Conference selections: Wentz, Caron, forward Alyssa Fitzgerald (Queensbury, NY/Queensbury), a grad student, and sophomore midfielder Cheyanne Zobel (Clifton Park, NY/Shenendehowa), returned from the squad…Caron, who holds the program record for most career shutouts with five, began the week ranked fifth nationally with 12.83 saves per-game…The E8 Defensive Player of the Week for the period ending Sunday, September 8 has made double-digit saves four times this fall…Fitzgerald opened the autumn with 29 career goals and 64 career points, both second all-time among RSC players…She tied for second in the E8 with 17 goals last season…As a rookie, Zobel ranked seventh in the country and second in the E8 with 0.75 assists per-game…She started the week leading the Conference with 0.57 assists-per game…Brand received an honorable mention for the NFHCA Division III Defensive Player of the Week for the period ending Sunday, September 29…The rookie scored a goal in the September 27 shutout of visiting Elmira before making 13 saves in her first collegiate start, a 2-0 non-conference setback at RPI on September 28...She was selected the E8 Defensive Player of the Week for her efforts.
