In the last week, Ramapo’s Field Hockey team put together their first win of the season against Immaculata University, and registered their third loss of the new year against Vassar College. The Roadrunners now sit with a 1-3 record, although they have yet to face a New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) opponent.
Against Immaculata on Wednesday, Ramapo took care of business with a 2-0 victory as junior goalkeeper Michelle Kukan saved all three shots on goal that came her way. In total, the Mighty Macs tallied five shots on the day, with all five coming from midfielder Lauren Vandenbraak. For Kukan, it was her first shutout of the season, and the eighth of her Ramapo career.
The first goal of the game came off the stick of junior forward Morgan Trotter, an opening boon for her first season playing for the Roadrunners. Trotter missed her freshman and sophomore years due to an injury. The goal came unassisted in the 27th minute of the second quarter.
The score remained 1-0 in favor of Ramapo until the 59th minute, when freshman Kayla Gray scored the first goal of her Roadrunner career. Through the first four games of the season Gray leads the team in shots, shots on goal and is tied for the team lead in points. Gray’s goal sealed the win for Ramapo, and was assisted by sophomore Ana Plaia.
The win was filled with milestones for the Roadrunners. In addition to the first collegiate goals for Trotter and Gray, it was the first ever win for Interim Head Coach Kelsie Murphy. Murphy was named interim head coach after serving as an assistant to Head Coach Jennifer Tafro in 2022. She was a member of the William Paterson University field hockey team for two seasons, and won the NJAC championship as a player in 2020.
On Saturday, the Roadrunners traveled to Poughkeepsie, N.Y. to face Vassar, where the team lost, 4-0. This was the second time Ramapo has been shutout this season.
Vassar opened the scoring in the second quarter with a goal from forward Hailey Brigger. Kukan kept Vassar off the scoreboard for the next 24 minutes of action, until the Brewers went on to score three goals in a six-minute stretch in the third quarter.
The first of the three goals came from forward Sofia Beseth, the second from forward Tori Baker and the third coming as a penalty stroke from midfielder Jaclyn Narleski. In total, Vassar registered 12 shots, nine of which were on goal. Kukan did tally four saves, and she was replaced by sophomore goalkeeper Erika Roura in the fourth quarter. Roura saved the only shot on goal she faced.
The Roadrunners did not tally a shot for the entire game, the first time that has happened to them all season. Ramapo will look to turn the corner with their next scheduled game coming on Saturday, Sept. 23 against Misericordia University at 4 p.m. It will be Ramapo’s first weekend home game this season.
wjackso2@ramapo.edu
Featured photo courtesy of Ramapo Athletics
