Cobras Blank Converse at Home on Sunday

HARTSVILLE, S.C. - The Coker University field hockey team shut out visiting Converse College 2-0 on Sunday (Sept. 15) at the Coker Athletic Field. 

After a scoreless first quarter in which Coker out-shot Converse 4-1, the Cobras would score less than three minutes into the second quarter to take a 1-0 lead. Kelly Mason slapped a pass through the middle that found the stick of Victoria Humphreys to put the Cobras ahead 1-0, as Coker would take that lead to the break holding Converse to just three shots and one penalty corner in the first half. 

Coker would out-shoot Converse 4-0 in the third quarter, before the Cobras would ice the victory with a goal from Mason in the final three minutes of the frame. As play drew tighter toward the Converse cage, Amelia Gajewski fired a shot through and off the pad of Converse goalkeeper Ciriaca Pettito. Pettito knocked the shot away but offered up a juicy rebound to Mason, who scored her third goal of the season off the rebound. 

Coker would out-shoot the Valkyries 10-1 in the fourth quarter and also earn seven penalty corners in the frame. Kayla Hnasko would stand tall in net after a penalty stroke was granted to Kira Martinez less than three minutes into the fourth quarter. Hnasko was able to stop the shot high blocker-side to preserve the shutout.  The score would hold and the Cobras evened up their record with the victory. 

In total, Coker out-shot Converse 20-4 and earned 10 penalty corners to Converse's one. Humphreys and Mason were the goal-scorers on the afternoon, while Mason added an assist to her credit and Gajewski also registered one helper in the contest. Freshman Kayla Hnasko (1-2) recorded her first career shutout, making three saves between the pipes. 

The Cobras (2-2, 2-2 South Atlantic Conference Carolinas) are back in action next Saturday (Sept. 21) at Frostburg State in non-conference action. The contest is slated for a 5:00 p.m. start.