By james art FARMVILLE, VA – Cassidy Strittmatter recorded a pair to lead James Madison past Longwood to a 2-0 road victory in Mid-American Conference field hockey at Elizabeth Burger Jackson Field on Friday night.
With the win, JMU (13-4, 7-0 MAC) earned a first-round bye in the MAC Field Hockey Championship. The Dukes will begin the conference tournament in the semifinals on Thursday, Nov. 7.
In addition to Strittmatter’s goal, Jr Alice Roper and graduate student Mia Julian joined the offensive with one assist each. Senior Katie Fricke made two stops for his second career solo shutout.
Sophie Muldike recorded eight saves for the Lancers, including one on a penalty shot attempt.
I’m quoting the head coach Christy Morgan
“Longwood came to play – they were dynamic and eager. It really raised our game. We competed hard and played connected hockey. I am so proud of our growth. I am excited because the team is not happy; they want more and there is so much more in them! We’ll clean up a few things tomorrow at practice to be ready for the next opportunity, we’re looking to be one percent better and the growth over the season has been incredible!”
How it happened
- The Dukes broke through on a penalty corner early in the second period with a rebound by Roeper at the top of the circle that was deflected by Strittmatter.
- Julian dribbled to the left side of the circle and passed forward to Strittmatter, who tapped it in to put JMU up 2-0 at 11:21 of the third.
- Roper was tripped in the circle midway through the fourth to draw a penalty. On the attempt, Muldijk made a diving save at the left post to keep the score 2-0.
Game notes
- James Madison leads Longwood 25-3 and has won 24 straight against the Lancers in the all-time series.
- The Dukes have outscored MAC opponents 25-4 in seven league games so far this season.
- The result marked JMU’s fourth straight shutout in conference play. JMU previously beat Kent State (3-0, Oct. 11), Bellarmine (6-0, Oct. 18) and Ball State (4-0, Oct. 27).
- With an assist, Roper has registered points in 10 of his last 11 games.
- Strittmatter’s two goals give her a total of 10 this season, joining Roeper (13) to become the only Dukes with 10+ goals in the 2024 campaign. The last time James Madison had two players with 10 or more goals in one season, it was in 2022 when Evelyn Zwager and Diede Remijnse both found the net 10 times.
Next up
The Dukes will return to Harrisonburg to host App State (10-7, 6-1 MAC) for Senior Day on Nov. 3. The game is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.