Piscataway, N.J. – Manhattan falls to Rutgers in their non-conference season opener, 10-20.
The Jaspers got off to a slow start against the Scarlet Knights, letting up eight goals while only scoring one of their own. The Jaspers had their strongest quarter in the second, scoring four goals and outscoring the Scarlet Knights by two. However, this was not enough to overcome the early lead that the Scarlet Knights built, ultimately losing 10-20.
"We are proud of how the team competed today. They fought hard for a full 60 minutes. We learned a lot from this game and are ready to get back to work to prepare for our next game," said head coach Jenna Dingler.
The first quarter saw a defensive breakdown on the Jaspers' end, allowing six goals by the 10-minute mark. The game then went silent until Ava Fernandes swung one into the back of the Scarlet Knights' net at 6:09, assisted by Emily Fiola. The Scarlet Knights would go on to score two more goals before the end of the first, with the final one getting past Ashley Gambardella with only 0:03 seconds remaining.
The second quarter was owned by the Jaspers, lighting up the Scarlet Knights' net with eight shots on goal, four of which were successful. This quarter saw four separate Jasper scorers, with Fernandes earning her second goal.
The second quarter saw a second wind from the already leading Scarlet Knights, outscoring the Jaspers 10-5.
Two Jaspers achieved hat-tricks this afternoon: Reagan Mullins and Lauren Maher. The defense was led by Hannah Cleary, who picked up five ground balls and caused one turnover. Gambardella played all 60 minutes of the game and made nine saves, four more than the Scarlet Knights' main goalkeeper of the afternoon.
The Jaspers will hop back on the bus to Pennsylvania next week to take on Temple University. The game will take place on Saturday Feb. 17 at 12:00 PM in Philadelphia, PA.
