On Sunday, the Old Dominion Field Hockey team continued their impressive winning streak, securing their ninth consecutive victory after a 3-0 win over James Madison in their ‘Royal Rivalry’ matchup. The game was a team effort, with senior forward Marlon de Bruijne leading the way as she scored two goals to help clinch the victory.
The Lady Monarchs 11-5 (5-1 Big East) came out from the jump and took control of the match in the first quarter. In the first 90 seconds of play, de Bruijne had the first crack on JMU’s goalkeeper Brandelynn Heinbaugh as she struck a shot on goal. After a trade of fouls on both teams over the next few minutes, ODU began to ramp up their attack. Sophomore forward Sacha De Gier tallied a shot on goal against Heinbaugh, but the score remained even. Five minutes passed and the Lady Monarchs jumped ahead as senior midfielder Rina Tsioles flipped the pass inside to senior forward Jolene Ulichney, who skillfully drove the ball into the back of the cage. After a quarter of play, ODU outshot the Dukes 6-1.
In the second quarter, Old Dominion continued to dominate. With two minutes already gone by, Tsioles secured her second assist of the game as she fed de Bruijne in the box for the second goal of the match. That would be the last goal scored in the half as the Lady Monarchs continued to apply pressure, putting up four shots on net while the Dukes struggled to find any attack. ODU took a 2-0 advantage into the half as they outshot JMU 10-1.
The second half of the game proved to be a continuation of Old Dominion University’s excellent performance. With renewed energy, the Lady Monarchs started adding to their lead. Junior midfielder Frederique Zandbergen stepped up to take a penalty corner and executed it perfectly, driving the ball inside and finding de Bruijne, who scored her second goal of the afternoon. The dominance of the Lady Monarchs’ on the field was evident.
ODU’s dominance continued as they outshot the Dukes 5-0 in the third quarter and 1-0 in the fourth quarter. The game was a testament to the skill and teamwork of the Old Dominion Field Hockey team, who continue to impress the competition.
De Bruijne scored two goals in the Lady Monarchs’ victory against JMU, bringing her season tally to 16. Freshman goalkeeper Suus Broers kept her eighth clean sheet of the season, without having to make any saves in the match. The Lady Monarchs outshot James Madison 17-1 and registered 14 shots on goal, while the Dukes failed to produce any.
Head coach Andrew Griffiths shared his thoughts on his squad’s performance against JMU and believes they have hit their stride at the right time.
“It was a strong team performance back to front. 17 shots to 1 is a reflection of that,” said head coach Andrew Griffiths. “It was a solid weekend, 2 shutouts, and solid performances. We are playing well as a team at the right point of the season.”
Old Dominion’s final regular season matchup is on the road against UCONN on Friday, Oct. 27th at 2 p.m.
