CASTLETON, Vt. – The Castleton field hockey team put together an all-around performance in their conference matchup against Western Connecticut Saturday afternoon, using the team's first shutout of the season to earn a 2-0 win.
It was a back and forth affair for much of the first half with WestConn (3-5, 2-3 LEC) holding a slight advantage in shots and penalty corners, but the combined efforts of the Spartan defense and goalie
Hannah Frittenburg were enough to keep the game scoreless entering the break.
This was the first career shutout for Frittenburg, whose five saves proved vital in the win and vaulted her into the top-20 in the nation with 66 on the year.
The offense stepped up for both sides to start the second half, and it was Castleton (4-6, 2-2 LEC) striking first halfway through the third quarter. On their second penalty corner of the frame,
Kaitlin Bardellini passed the ball into
Emily Harris who took a touch and launched it into the top corner of the cage for the score.
The duo of Harris and Bardellini has been deadly for the Spartans this season. Of Bardellini's team-high seven assists, five have been to the sophomore, accounting for one-third of Harris' team-high 15 goals on the year.
Castleton would double its lead just over two minutes later off of another Bardellini corner. This time the captain passed the ball in to
Haley Corlew who sent a hard, low shot past Western's goalie to make it a 2-0 game and give the freshman her fourth goal of the season.
WestConn did their best to even the score in the final quarter getting off three shots and creating multiple other chances, but Frittenburg and the Spartans' backline stood tall, keeping Western out of the cage to earn the shutout.
Castleton will be back in action Wednesday, Oct. 6 in a conference matchup against Plymouth State. The game will be played under the lights of Dave Wolk Stadium with first pass set for 7:00 PM.
