Spartanburg, SC - Four days removed from a hard-fought one-goal loss at home against 7th-ranked Lander, the Lincoln Memorial field hockey team was back in action on Saturday on the road in Spartanburg, SC against the Converse Valkyries. The Railsplitters entered the contest seeking a program record in single season wins, amassing a 3-5 record to this point in the season. The Valkyries were riding a four-game winning streak, earning a 6-2 overall record ahead of Saturday's contest.
Home standing Converse wasted no time in getting a jump on the Railsplitters, adding two goals in the first quarter. Although Lincoln Memorial managed two saves, it was unable to convert any offensive pressure into any scoring attempts, leaving the Valkyries in control 2-0 after one quarter played. Though not without opportunity, the Railsplitters once again found themselves short in the second quarter as the Valkyries increased the lead to 3-0 on the heels of five shots. Scoring opportunities out of penalty corners proved to be the strength of Converse throughout the game having tallied its second goal out of a penalty corner attempt and rebound shot by halftime to take a 3-0 lead into the locker room.
After falling behind 4-0, a fervent push downfield with a crisp offensive setup allowed Lincoln Memorial to find its first goal of the day when
Jolie Plaisier found the back of the cage on the shot, cutting the score to 4-1. With the lead in hand, the Valkyries seemed content to slow the game down, while the Railsplitters turned up the heat in the offensive zone. The Valkyries inevitably added another goal with less than five minutes remaining to increase the lead back to four goals, 5-1. Adding three shots through the final frame, Lincoln Memorial attempted a fervent comeback, however, eventually fell short, seeing Converse take a 5-1 victory at home.
With the loss, Lincoln Memorial moved to 3-6 (0-3) on the season while Converse improved to 7-2 (4-1).
The Railsplitters will have to quickly shake the loss and shift focus to the Coker Cobras on Tuesday in Hartsville, SC with the game slated to begin at 6 PM.
