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'Hawks triumph over Brown, Iowa

Kate Snyder moves down the turf in a game against CMU Sept. 11, 2009.
Kate Snyder moves down the turf in a game against CMU Sept. 11, 2009.

Drew McDonell, Staff Writer

Kate Snyder moves down the turf in a game against CMU Sept. 11, 2009. (MICHAEL GRIGGS | The Miami Student)

The Miami University field hockey team started off their weekend successfully after they defeated Brown University 1-0. The RedHawks then clenched the win against the University of Iowa 5-1.

The team traveled to Iowa City, Iowa to take on the Brown University Bears at a neutral site. Junior Jackie Nguyen scored the only goal of the match early in the second half. Nguyen is the RedHawks' leading scorer, scoring eight goals already this season.

The offense continued to strike at Brown University, shooting 16 more shots on goal.

The RedHawks' offense is not the only contributing factor to Miami's win. The defense held strong against the Bears, not allowing Brown a single shot on goal.

Head Coach Jill Reeve was pleased with her team's performance.

"I thought we played excellent defense, especially in the second half," Reeve said. "We were a little off our game offensively, but Brown played well on that end."

This was Brown's first game of the season, leaving them at a 0-1 record.

The RedHawks remained in Iowa City to take on the nationally ranked University of Iowa Hawkeyes. Prior to the match, Iowa was foreseen to be tough competition as they were ranked 19 in the country. The 'Hawks did not let Iowa's reputation intimidate them.

The team wasted no time offensively and Nguyen scored within the first five minutes of the game. Shortly after, senior Kate Snyder landed another goal for the team.

The girls returned after halftime full of momentum. Within the first four minutes of the second period, senior Mary Hull scored another goal for the RedHawks. Iowa then struck back and scored against Miami's defense, bringing the score to 3-1. The team didn't allow this to affect their game and they came back even stronger.

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Junior Kylie Landeros earned another goal for the RedHawks, her first goal of the season. Then, freshman Emily Gruesser scored the final goal of the match with four minutes left to play, clenching the win for Miami 5-1.

Snyder credits the use of new tools and tactics to the team's win.

"Our team has been implementing a lot of new and exciting elements to our game to give us an edge over the competition," Snyder said. "Using new tools like these in a match against a strong team can be challenging, but I think our team handled it with great composure."

The field hockey team currently has a perfect season, holding a 4-0 record. The team looks to continue their winning streak as they face the University of Indiana.

The RedHawks will take on the Hoosiers at 5 p.m. Sept. 17.