HARRISONBURG, Va. — The Cedar Crest College field hockey team was defeated by Meredith College in a 3-0 final on Saturday afternoon at EMU Turf Field.

Junior Shelby Heater (Lehighton, Pa./Lehighton Area) made a crucial save at 12:25, denying Avenging Angels' Sophia Frez and maintaining a scoreless tie. Despite Heater's efforts in goal, Meredith broke through with a late goal by Sarah Click, assisted by Charlotte Dyer, at 14:54 to conclude the first quarter with a 1-0 lead.

The second quarter saw Falcons' defense holding steady, highlighted by Heater's key saves, including a shot by Megan Ingenito at 18:14 and another by Dyer at 24:30. The quarter ended with no changes to the score, keeping Cedar Crest within reach for the remainder of the game.

The third quarter began with defensive efforts from the Falcons, as senior Olivia Wanner (Lyons, Pa./Kutztown Area) and junior Sydney Jeker (Sciota, Pa./Pleasant Valley) both had shots blocked early on, with Wanner's attempt occurring at 31:24. A key moment came at 40:51 when Heater made a save against a shot by Dyer, but Dyer managed to score for Meredith shortly after at 42:26, extending the visitors' lead.

The fourth quarter began with Heater making several key saves against Meredith's shots, including a notable one at 49:09. Cedar Crest earned a penalty corner at 51:24, leading to a blocked shot by Jeker. Despite their efforts, Meredith managed to score with Maya Kirstein converting at 52:31, assisted by Dyer, bringing the score to 3-0 in favor of the visitors.

Heater recorded 10 saves during the contest, including six crucial saves in the final quarter. Jeker led the team in shots with two, while sophomore Gracie Domingo-Whitfield (Glenolden, Pa./Interboro), senior Olivia Horninger (Friedens, Pa./Northern Lehigh), and Wanner each contributed one shot. 

Dyer led the Meredith team with a strong performance, scoring one goal and assisting twice on seven shots, with five on target. Click contributed a game-winning goal, netting one goal on her only shot, which was also on target. Kirstein added to the scoring effort with one goal from two shots, with one on target.

The next challenge for the Falcons (0-1 overall) is on the road as they face Eastern Mennonite University on Sunday, August 31 at 1:00 p.m.

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