By TYLER PEZALSKI
STATE COLLEGE – Cumberland Valley’s star player Marissa Muza scored a hat-trick on Monday night in State College as the Lady Eagles field hockey team edged the Little Lions, 3-1, at Memorial Field.
Muza scored early in the first period to put the talented Eagles up 1-0 just four minutes into the game.
State College freshman forward Brynn Pezalski answered with a goal of
her own a minute later to tie the score at 1-1, but Muza tallied another goal later in the first
period to give CV a 2-1 lead.
A strong State College defense combined with an absolutely stellar performance by the Little Lion’s goalkeeper Cora Bierly kept the game close as neither team was able to score in the second period and it remained 2-1 going into halftime.
Muza completed her hat trick at the 4:35 mark in the third period and put the Eagles up by two, 3-1.
State College threatened at times in the second half, but the Lions were unable to close the gap against the CV defense, and the game finished with a 3-1 Eagles’ win.
Pezalski’s goal for State College came at the 10-minute mark in the first quarter and was assisted by Reagan Dare, while Bierly finished the game with 18 saves against the very aggressive CV offense.
The Little Lions are now 2-4 overall for the season, and 1-4 in Mid-Penn Conference play.
They will be at home again on Monday, Sept. 15 for a conference game against Mechanicsburg.
