Sept. 2, 2006

Box Score

Mount Pleasant, Mich. - Central Michigan used two second-half goals to topple Saint Louis 2-1 in a non-conference field hockey match Saturday afternoon in Mount Pleasant, Mich. SLU's Catherine Donovan (St. Louis, Mo./Cor Jesu) opened the scoring with a goal in the 23rd minute, but Central Michigan erased the deficit with two goals in a five-minute span to claim its second straight win. With the loss, the Billikens fall to 1-1.

Donovan put the Billikens on the board via a penalty corner. Michelle Sinclair started the sequence, and Kristin Lueders fired the shot on goal. Donovan managed to get her stick on the ball to deflect it past CMU keeper Danielle Frank for the 1-0 lead.

Central Michigan managed four shots on goal despite holding a 7-2 advantage on penalty corners in the first frame. SLU keeper Amy Wasserman kicked aside all four to preserve a 1-0 Billiken lead at the break.

The Chippewas came out firing in the second half, but did not get a ball past Wasserman until 21 minutes into the second session. Courtney Blanchard tied the match with a rocket off of passes from Samantha Sandham and Kim Erasmus in the 56th minute. Bringing continuous offensive pressure, CMU's Alicia Balanesi buried a rebound off the post nearly five minutes later to lift the Chippewas to the 2-1 victory.

The Billikens were out-shot 24-14 overall in the match and 16-6 in the second half alone. Central Michigan managed a 15-5 advantage on penalty corners.

Emily Kassab was the biggest offensive threat for the Billikens after putting four shots on goal. Molly Boyne mustered two shots on goal, and Donovan and Christine Frampus each put one on goal.

SLU closes out its two-match set with the Chippewas on Sunday. Game time in Mount Pleasant, Mich., is slated for 10 a.m. (CT).