Box Score

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY (September 25, 2009) – No. 11 nationally ranked Skidmore College got goals from five different players and held the Vassar field hockey team to six shots on goal, en route to winning the Liberty League opener for both teams 5-0 Friday afternoon. 

Vassar drops to 2-7 on the season and will continue Liberty League play at Union College on Saturday at 2:00 pm. Skidmore, winners of five straight games, improve to 6-1 on the season and host Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Saturday at 2:00 pm. 

The host Thoroughbreds have been defensively strong in their last four games, allowing just three goals in a streak that has included a 7-2 win over New Paltz, 1-0 over Williams, 6-1 versus Union and 4-0 over SUNY Oneonta. 

On Friday, Skidmore not only played solid defense, but had ample offense. Skidmore's Ceilidh MacNeill scored the game's first goal in the 18th minute and just 2:37 after she checked into the game, sliding her shot past Vassar freshman goalie Rachel Clarkin-Breslin. 

Skidmore took at 3-0 lead into halftime following goals from Christine Kemp in the 26th minute and by Elise Britt in the 29th minute. 

At the start of the second half, Vassar made a switch in goal, inserting junior Rachel Horwitz into the cage.The Thoroughbreds put Vassar in a tough comeback position, however, when Laureen McCarthy increased the lead to 4-0 with a goal just 46 seconds into the second half. Caylyn Sullivan scored the game's last goal in the 51st minute. 

Senior Rachel Lowenthal had two shots on goal for Vassar. Clarkin-Breslin made three saves and Horwitz made two.