DANVILLE, Ky. -- Playing the second day of a back-to-back in Kentucky, the Allegheny field hockey team earned its first win of 2021 by posting a 4-2 win over Sewanee (Tenn.) in a match played at Centre (Ky.).

The Gators move to 1-1 on the season and give interim head coach Margaret Maclean her first win as a head coach after previously serving as the program's assistant coach from nearly its inception.

Ramsay Smith (Williamsburg, Va./Lafayette) lit the scoreboard first for the Gators, putting the Blue & Gold ahead 1-0 just over 5:30 into play. Sewanee, however, was able to knot the game at 1-1 just under two minutes later. The score held up until midway through the second quarter when Ella O'Connor (Haddon Township, N.J./Haddon Township) gave the Gators the lead back for good with her first career goal, 2-1.

The two squads were held off the scoreboard in the third period, but O'Connor found the back of the net for her second goal of the game 5:50 into the fourth to push the Allegheny lead to 3-1. Sewanee put up a fight by adding an answer within two minutes, but Kelsey Anderson (Rochester, N.Y./Brighton) registered an insurance goal on a rebound off a shot by Smith on the ensuing Allegheny possession to set the final margin at 4-2.

Allegheny trailed in shots, 25-18, but made the most of its 18 shots, getting nine to land on goal. Smith's six shots led the Gators, while O'Connor was second with three, all of which ended up on target. Becca Winton (Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle), Maya Francisco (Toledo, Ohio/Maumee Valley Country Day School) and Bella Cowen (Louisville, Ky./Kentucky Day School) each recorded a pair of shots.

Hallie Reiger (Oklahoma City, Okla./Casady) played the first 45 minutes in goal and earned the win while making 12 saves. Meredythe Baird (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./Holy Redeemer) made four saves in the fourth quarter.

The Gators will be back in action next Saturday, Sept. 11, when they travel to Granville, Ohio for an 11 a.m. match against North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) foe Denison, which will not count toward the league standings due to the conference's unbalanced round robin format. The two teams will play an NCAC match in Meadville on Friday, Oct. 15.