The Lancaster Bible College Field Hockey team kicked off the 2023 season at home on Friday, September 1, losing to Houghton University by a score of 6-0. The Chargers move to 0-1 overall while the Highlanders are 1-0 overall after their first win.
 
How it Happened:
Houghton got on the board early, scoring at the 1:43 mark to take an early 1-0 lead off a penalty corner play. The Chargers were able to hold strong on defense until around the 11^th minute when the Highlanders found a hole in the defense to go up 2-0, bringing the first quarter to an end.
 
The two teams went back and forth throughout the first eight minutes of the second quarter until Houghton drew a pair of penalty corners, where the Charger defense held strong with no goals allowed. The offense moved the ball down the field where junior Molly Gray put a shot in the circle, but a miss turned into a quick turnaround for Houghton as they buried another shot to take a 3-0 lead into halftime.
 
The Highlanders added another goal five minutes into the third quarter after a save from goalie Amanda Hoover came back into the box. The teams traded possession with each squad having several opportunities to score, but the defenses held and the Chargers trailed 4-0 with 15 minutes to play.
 
Houghton once again began the quarter with a score in the first few minutes to pad the lead. The Chargers played solid defense for the rest of the game to limit the opposing offense, until a goal with four seconds left finished the game and ultimately ended the contest with a 6-0 victory for the visitors.
 
By the Numbers:
- The Highlanders outshot Lancaster Bible 19-2 and held the Chargers without a penalty corner in the game
- Molly Gray fired two shots on goal and junior captain Haley Stahl made one defensive save
- Sophomore goalie Amanda Hoover had three saves in goal compared to the Highlanders' two saves
 
Information to Know:
This was the third matchup between the Chargers and the Highlanders and the first time they have played Houghton in Lancaster. This marks the first time the team has been shut out by Houghton and is the first time the Chargers have opened the season at home since the program was reintroduced in 2018.
 
Up Next:
The Chargers will remain at home for a quick turnaround as they host Eastern Mennonite University on Saturday, September 2 at 6:00 p.m.