Flash Points:

• Hannah Retherford (Benton, Pa./Benton) scored Saint Francis' first goal of the season.
• Carly Gromel (Harveys Lake, Pa./Lake-Lehman) scored and added an assist.
• Saint Francis outshot Ohio, 10-7.

ATHENS, Ohio. – Despite outshooting Ohio 10-7, the Saint Francis field hockey team fell to the Bobcats, 4-2, in the season opener on Friday at Pruitt Field.
 
Ohio got on the scoreboard just 3 minutes into the game after Maria Russell scored off a feed from Kendall Ballard. OU expanded their lead to 2-0 in the 11th minute. Brittany Keen scored on a breakaway, assisted by Emma Eggleston.
 
Saint Francis got within a goal in the 19th minute off a penalty corner. Hannah Retherford (Benton, Pa./Benton) was awarded the goal from Carly Gromel (Harveys Lake, Pa./Lake-Lehman). Kendall Ballard tallied the Bobcats' third goal of the match off a penalty corner assisted by Hannah Kingsbury and Eggleston. It was 3-1 Bobcats at the half.  
 
In the start of the second half, the Flash pressed early, and earned a series of penalty corners. Brea Seabrook (Wilkes Barre, Pa./GAR Memorial) fired off a shot that was saved and Brianna Govia (St. James, Trinidad/Holy Name) took a shot that sailed wide.
 
Gromel found the back of the cage at 54:09 as she beat Lina Trucco on a deflection to pull the Flash within one. Ohio's Keen scored just 47 seconds later to put the Bobcats up two at 4-2. The Flash earned two more penalty corners late, leading to three shots but could not close the gap.
 
Saint Francis was the offensive aggressor on Friday, as the Flash outshot the Bobcats 10-7, and held an 8-2 advantage in penalty corners.
 
Saint Francis stays in Athens the remainder of the weekend and faces Missouri State for a neutral site match at 11 a.m. on Sunday.