BOONE, N.C. – Off the pass by
Florine Koopman into the circle deep into the fourth quarter, junior
Jillian Orcutt saw an opportunity to score at the back post, took the pass and fired the ball past the Davidson goalkeeper to give App State Field Hockey the breakthrough score that would decide a 1-0 victory Sunday.
Orcutt scored the game's lone goal with just eight minutes to play. It was a tightly contested matchup, but Orcutt and the Mountaineers (3-1) prevailed thanks to outstanding defense and timely offense.
Head coach
Emily Dinsmore stressed ball control after Friday's loss to Drexel. The Mountaineers proved that they received the message, controlling the ball for much of the game and generating several chances to score before finally netting the deciding goal in the closing minutes.
"Everyone wanted it really bad today," Orcutt said. "We talk a lot in practice about framing the cage, and we executed that very well today by being in the right positions. Everyone worked really hard today to execute the game plan, and I'm just grateful I was in the right spot."
The result allowed App State to pick up its first home win on the new turf at Brandon & Erica M. Adcock Field.
The Mountaineer defense was especially potent, posting the team's first shutout of the year. Davidson managed only two corners, and any momentum generated from possessing the ball for long periods was quickly thwarted by the pressure provided by App State.
"The defense was locked in today," Dinsmore said. "They were a force to be reckoned with. They didn't let Davidson generate much. Even when they did get shots, we contested the shots very well to where it made it an easier save for Addie (Clark). I'm really proud of the way we stood strong defensively today."
How it Happened
1st: App State controlled the ball for much of the first quarter, generating several chances inside the attacking 25. The Mountaineers drew a corner early into the contest to give them their first scoring chance of the day. Off the insert by Koopman,
Sarah Perkins left the ball for
Grace Ball, who fired the game's first shot but missed wide.
The Mountaineers drew their second corner opportunity of the match with five minutes to play in the quarter, but nothing came of it as the Davidson defense stood strong. After the first quarter of play, the game was scoreless with App State leading the shot tally 1-0.
2nd: Davidson responded well to App State's strong opening quarter on offense, controlling the ball for much of the quarter and generating multiple shots or corners.
The second quarter started with an App State corner just 43 seconds in. Off the insert,
Charlotte Bosma fired her first of four shots on the day but had it blocked. The Mountaineers rattled off two more shots in the quarter, but neither were on target.
The Wildcats outshot the Mountaineers 4-3 in the second quarter and showed some good resolve to App State's pressure to end the half. Clark, the fifth-year goalkeeper, picked up two of her five saves in the second period off the four Davidson shots.
Although the two teams were playing with aggression, neither team found the back of the cage in the first half. Clark has now posted four shutout halves this season.
3rd: The third quarter saw the Mountaineers push right back at Davidson's strong second quarter, getting the ball into the circle on multiple occasions and outshooting the Wildcats 3-2.
The period started with a flurry of shots by
Charlotte Bosma off two corners. The junior attempted a season-high four shots in the contest.
Davidson found a few opportunities to score, attempting two shots in the period, but the Mountaineer defense stood firm and contested every shot the Wildcats had. Both Wildcat shots were blocked by the staunch App State defense.
4th: The fourth quarter started with App State controlling the ball, with nothing to come of it. In the 51st minute of play, Koopman advanced the ball into the circle and crossed it to Orcutt, who slapped the ball past the defense to finally find the back of the cage.
The goal for Orcutt was her first career goal in the Black & Gold. She is now the third Mountaineer this season to achieve that milestone, joining Koopman and
Sophia Baxter, another freshmen.
Davidson got much more aggressive as play progressed in the fourth. The Wildcats fired two consecutive shots on Clark, but she saved both of them.
The fourth quarter was tightly contested, and App State was able to make Orcutt's first career goal stand up.
Match Notes
Goals
App: Orcutt (1)
Assists
App: Koopman (2)
Winning Goalie –
Addie Clark (3-1): 5 saves, 0 goals allowed
Losing Goalie – Cato Roell (2-2): 2 saves, 1 goal allowed
Coach's Thoughts
"It's really good for our team to bounce back after Friday's loss with a grinded-out win against a good team," Dinsmore said. "The team did whatever they could to win the game and laid their hearts on the line to make sure we got this victory."
Up Next
App State will have a couple days off before starting a three-game road trip in Harrisonburg, Va., where they will take on future MAC foe James Madison on Friday. First touch from the JMU Field Hockey Complex is scheduled for 5 p.m.
