LYNCHBURG, Va. --- Roanoke dropped a 4-2 decision to Denison (OH) in field hockey's season-opener at Shellenberger Field on the campus of Lynchburg College Saturday afternoon. The Maroons are now 0-1 on the young season while the Big Red improved to 2-0.

 

Denison's Brooke Donovan led the Big Red offense in the first half, engineering two goals with assists to Kristen Schneider and Catie Merrick. They went into halftime with a 2-0 lead.

 

Roanoke cut the lead in half as Jessica Perkins (Abington, PA, Abington)scored midway through the second half to make it, 2-1. After Merrick's second goal of the game with 16 minutes left in the second half, Mariah Vietri (Jamestown, RI, Rocky Hill)found Lindsey Bass (Franklin, NH, New Hampton School)to score her first collegiate goal to make it, 3-2 with nine minutes remaining.

 

Merrick completed the hat trick, scoring off an assist from Schneider with less than four minutes remaining to seal Denison's second win of the season.

 

Denison outshout Roanoke, 24-14, including a 12-7 advantage on penalty corners. Brittany Benson had seven saves for the Big Red while Cristina Scichilone (South Yarmouth, MA, Nauset Regional)finished with four stops for the Maroons.

 

The women will host DePuaw (IN) at Kerr Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 6 in their home-opener. It will be only the second time Roanoke will have faced the Tigers, with the Maroons winning the first meeting, 6-2 in 1996. Game time is scheduled for noon.