Box Score
PHILADELPHIA – Four La Salle players scored goals, including two each by junior Neelam Kumar and sophomore Mariel Papa, to lead the Explorer field hockey team past Siena, 6-0, on Saturday afternoon. Freshman Lisa Shaffer and junior Lauren Wright combined on the shutout in the cage.
"I thought we came out and played a hard 70 minutes," head coach Michelle Marks said. "We converted on our opportunities in front of the cage and our defensive play helped us hold onto the shutout. We are very happy, as a coaching staff, with the improvements made today and look forward to carrying that into our game tomorrow versus Lehigh."
The Explorer offense has been quiet thus far but exploded against the Saints. The hosts held an impressive 33-5 advantage in shots and 9-4 lead in corners.
“After coming off a loss to Villanova [on Wednesday], we pulled together and were able to put a complete 70 minute performance,” junior captain Becca Chylack said. “We are ready to carry this momentum into our game tomorrow at Lehigh.”
Freshman Maddy Tettelbach is making another run at Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honors after scoring a goal and adding an assist. She now has five points this week.
"I think after the last few games we recognized the adjustments that needed to be made," Kumar said. "I feel that showed it today's game that everyone was not only working for themselves but for our teammates as well."
Chylack scored her first goal of the season off a corner while sophomore Jessica Deaner, redshirt sophomore Haley Jennings and sophomore Kelly Rae Wright all added assists on the day.
Papa got the Explorers on the board in the 12th minute. She took a pass from Tettelbach and moved to her backhand side to beat the keeper. Nine minutes later, Kumar received a pass from Deaner and stopped, turned and fired a hard shot to the back of the cage to make it 2-0.
Neither team would score before halftime but La Salle (2-3) turned it on in the second stanza. Kumar scored off a rebound in the 42nd minute and five minutes later Tettelbach also tallied a goal on a rebound.
Papa scored her second goal on a breakaway in the 56th minute and Chylack finished off the scoring with her blast off a corner off assists from Jennings and Wright.
Shaffer made four saves, while Wright did not have to stop a shot. Beth Meyers made 19 saves for the Saints (0-4).
La Salle improved to 5-0 all-time against Siena.
The Explorers will travel to Lehigh on Sunday at 1 PM. Live video and statistics will be available through lehighsports.com.
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