MEADVILLE, Pa. – The Allegheny field hockey team held their 2025 home opener Saturday (Sept. 6) against Roanoke, defeating the Maroons 1-0 on a fourth quarter goal.
The Gators had a pair of penalty corners in the opening frame but were unable to find the back of the net.
Rowan O'Toole (Glen Burnie, Md./Archbishop Spalding) stopped the lone Maroon shot on goal as the contest remained scoreless after 15 minutes.
Allegheny pressured the Maroon defense in the second quarter, putting four shots on goal and earning a pair of penalty corners. However, the game remained scoreless heading into halftime.
Roanoke had four shots on net in the third and earned three corners. O'Toole stopped all four attempts to keep the game tied at zero as the teams entered the fourth quarter.
The Gators scored the first goal of the game early in the fourth quarter. Off a penalty corner,
Maddy Keenan (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn Trafford) found
Bryce Watford (Parkville, Md./Eastern Technical) in front of the net. Watford lifted a shot to the top corner to tally the game's first goal. The goal also marked Watford's first collegiate goal.
The Allegheny defense held up the rest of the way as the Gators collected a 1-0 win in their home opener.
Inside the Box
- After a scoreless three quarters, Watford scored five minutes into the fourth, assisted by Keenan off a penalty corner.
- O'Toole finished with six saves in the shutout.
- Megan Seymour (Hamburg, N.Y./Hamburg) had three shots on goal.
- The Gators had a 16-14 advantage in shots and a 9-7 advantage in penalty corners.
News and Notes
- Allegheny is now 1-1 all-time against Roanoke.
- Watford scored her first career goal.
Up Next
The Gators open North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) play on the road Wednesday (Sept. 10) at Washington and Jefferson.
