Box Score — Missouri State

Box Score — Saint Louis

The Kent State field hockey team opened up conference play Friday with a 2-0 shutout win over Missouri State University.

The Flashes (4-7) kept active on defense as sophomore goalie Andrea Rinehart helped thwart the Bears attack throughout the game.

Rinehart credited the offense for being able to do such a great job in the cage.

“I think we had really good possession of the ball and we used everyone on the field really well,” Rinehart said.

Kent State was able to score late in the game when senior Julia Hofmann took a deflection off a defender and put it in the back of the cage to give the Flashes a 1-0 lead. They added an insurance goal when senior Hannah Faulkner scored on an assist from redshirt freshman Alison Harmatz. The Flashes never looked back as they closed the book on the Bears during the rest of the game.

Kent State continued its dominance again when they played Saint Louis University on Sunday, winning, 8-0.

Faulkner led the charge with an outstanding three-goal performance, capping a career-day with her first collegiate hat trick.

“I really attacked and got great shots on cage,” Faulkner said.

Rinehart stayed spotless for the Flashes as well, tallying three saves on the day.

Kent State has battled top-notch teams like Syracuse and Michigan State in the initial portion of its season, and these contests, along with this most recent win in Saint Louis, will build momentum as the Flashes head into the heart of their conference schedule.

“It’s great to get two wins on the road for our confidence and heading into a big conference game this weekend,” Kent State field hockey coach Kathleen Wiler said.

The Flashes will host MAC rival Ohio University this Saturday at 11:30 a.m. The team will then travel to Ohio State University for a showdown with the Buckeyes on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Contact Ricky Salcer at [email protected].