Van der Vegt vexes Towson in nine-save shutout

On Friday, Oct. 7, the Hofstra University field hockey team won 1-0 in a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) matchup against the Towson University Tigers. The Pride improves to 6-6 on the season and 1-1 in conference play.

Hofstra came out of the gates firing. The Pride had four total shots compared to the Tigers’ two when the first period concluded. Goalkeeper Merlijn van der Vegt had two saves in the period, and Towson’s Tessa Scheenstra had one.

The second period saw Hofstra net one goal. Towson started with a shot on target by attacker Gianna Antone which was saved by van der Vegt. Less than 50 seconds later, the Pride scored the lone goal of the game. 

Forward Simryn Desai collected a loose ball before laying off a pass to midfielder Fede Schroder. Schroder fired a low, fast shot past Scheenstra’s outstretched leg and into the net. 

This marked Schroder’s first goal of her career. Desai’s assist was her first of the season.

In the third period, Hofstra played down a player after midfielder Samantha Spera was sent off with a red card. Towson’s attacker Sarah Hatfield recorded the only shot of the period, but nothing came of it.

The fourth period saw a push from the Tigers to try to come back and take the win. Van der Vegt had a strong period, as they saved each of the five shots that came their way. 

Toward the end of the period, Hofstra brought their own slew of shots. Desai had two on target, and Larsson and forward Cami Valor each had a shot on target. Just like van der Vegt, Scheenstra saved all the shots that came her way. 

Hofstra recorded 10 shots, six of them on target throughout the game. Towson had 11 shots total and nine on target. Van der Vegt recorded nine saves on the afternoon, and Scheenstra tallied five. 

Van der Vegt’s nine saves put them at 277 career saves, only seven away from bypassing Kaitlyn De Turo and moving into 10th place for most saves in a career at Hofstra.

The Pride takes the field again on Friday, Oct. 14, at 3 p.m. against the Monmouth University Hawks in their next CAA matchup.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics