~VeteransprovevaluableinclosePACwin

by Paul Moser sports editor

With major contributions from four seniors, the Lady Cavaliers field hockey team pulled out a squeaker against Alvernia this weekend by a score of 2-1.

Seniors Mary Lear, Jessie Valerio, Becky Grabie, and Amanda Seeds paced the way ~nthe second half for the come-from-rebind win.

The 'Lady Cavaliers are still undefeated and are 1-0 in the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference.

Following the game, Lear said, "The seniors are feeling the pressure to produce."

And produce they did. Lear, Valerio, Grabie and Seeds, the only seniors on the team, each contributed greatly to the winning effort.

The Lady Cavaliers went into the half dejected. They had a lot of shots on net the first period but had nothing to show for it. That is when the veterans picked up their play for the second half.

A few minutes into the second half, trailing by one goal, Grabie slammed home the tying goal to make the score 1-1. It was her fifth goal of the year and put her in the lead for team goals. Grabie has started every game at weak side wing this season.

Shortly after the tying goal, Valerio, the Lady Cavaliers· all-time leader in goals, assists and points, scored the go-ahead goal. The third goal of the season for Valerio proved to be all the Lady Cavaliers needed against Alvemia and the only one that the Lady Cavaliers could muster against the Alvernia defense

Seeds shut down the opposition in the field with her midfield play, allowing only two possessions in the Lady Cavaliers' zone throughout the second half.

Lear' took things over defensively, registering 13 saves and allowing Alvernia only one goal.

Although winning their first PAC game was a plus, this low scoring trend has proven to be all too familiar for the Lady Cavaliers, according to Coach Jackie Neary, who classified the drought to be "definitely a problem."

Even though the Lady Cavaliers regisrered shots on goal and dominated play the entire game, they only came away with two goals, which almost came back to haunt them.

Neary felt the shots were coming but the bounces were not going their way and the ream need to find a way out of this scoring funk.

The Lady Cavaliers registered quite a few

Luckily though, for the Lady Cavaliers, fom players in their last years came up big to pull out the first PACwin of the year.

Sophomore Lisa Reynolds chases the ball in the Lady Cavaliers' 2~ 1 victory over Alvernia College during Welcome Weekend. Looking on is senior Amanda Seeds. Seeds' defense helped pace the Lady Cavaliers to victory. The lady Cavaliers are now 1-0 in the PAC. shots on net, but it seemed every time they were down in the red zone the ball would bounce the wrong way.

The Lady Cavaliers next PAC matchup is away on Sept. 22 againstCedar Crest.