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Sept. 8, 2002

BALTIMORE, Md. - After starting the season with two losses to Indiana and Georgetown, the Miami University (1-2) field hockey team ended its losing streak with a 1-0 shutout of UMBC on Sunday. Helping the RedHawks to their first win since a 2-1 decision over Lehigh on Sept. 1, 2001 was senior Sarah Clarke (West Bridgewater, Mass./West Bridgewater) who scored the game-winner at 19:28 in the second half.

"It was a nice feeling to win," head coach Lil Fesperman says. "Hopefully this will take us into this week's practice knowing that with intensity and hardwork we can keep this good feeling we have now."

The Red and White were kept on their heels in the first period by a strong UMBC offense. The Retrievers offense outshot Miami 7-3 and held a 4-1 advantage in penalty corners during the first stanza. Unfortunately for the Retrievers, however, sophomore goalie Kerri Orr (San Diego, Calif./Serra) made five solid saves to keep the game knotted at 0-0.

With the temperature continuing to rise on the turf surface of UMBC Stadium, Fesperman's halftime adjustments helped to warm up the RedHawk offense. Miami opened the second period with six quick shots on net before Clarke found the goal on its third penalty corner of the game. Credited with assists on Clarke's goal were sophomore Gillian Lindsay (Cleveland Heights, Ohio/Cleveland Heights) and junior Angie Snedden (Sarnia, Ontario/St. Christopher's).

"We had spurts of improvement and that's what we saw in the second half," Fesperman says. "However, it was the play of Kerri in the first half and the effort of Marnie (Pickering) and Maya (Gilbert) that kept us in the game."

Orr continued to keep UMBC's offense at bay with two saves in the second period to bring her final tally to seven. After dropping her first two decisions of the season Orr collected her first career shutout with her outing this afternoon against UMBC.

Both sophomore Maya Gilbert (Kent, Ohio/Kent Roosevelt) and freshman Marnie Pickering (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) sparked the RedHawk offense in the second half with two shots each.

The RedHawks return to the road next weekend with two games in Boone, N.C. Appalachian State hosts the RedHawks on Friday, Sept. 13 at 8 p.m., and then the Red and White have a neutral site contest against Davidson on Sunday, Sept. 15 at 1 p.m.