Women's field hockey team scores a 7-2 victory over La Salle

The University of Richmond field hockey team quickly recovered after a slow start and scored four second-half goals en route to a 7-2 win over the La Salle University Explorers Friday.

Richmond scored twice early in the game, though La Salle scored its first goal in the 24th minute of the game. During halftime, Richmond coach Gina Lucida expressed her disappointment with the team's 3-1 lead.

"I basically told the team at halftime that they needed to immediately change how the way they were playing," Lucida said. The Spiders had just returned from three away games in which they won two and lost one.

Four minutes in, Richmond's Rebecca Barry juggled the ball through the La Salle defense and lobbed the ball over the goalie's head to put the Spiders ahead by one. Barry led the team in scoring with two goals.

"Today wasn't our best performance," Barry said. "We started off quite poorly, but we were able to turn it around in the second half."

Senior Chelsea Davies, who assisted in the first two goals, was recently selected to play in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association's senior game along with senior goalie Anna Zarkoski.

Sophomore Amy Cooke and junior Samantha Ostoich helped lead Richmond to a win in the second half. Ostoich finished with two goals, both goals assisted by Cooke.

La Salle's Olivia Shoemaker and Jessica Deaner scored the Explorer's only two goals.

The Spiders defeated St. Joseph's University on Sunday in their last regular season game. The team will travel to Amherst, Mass. this weekend to compete in the Atlantic 10 tournament.

Contact reporter Will Oldham at will.oldham@richmond.edu