WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>> Four different Saint Francis players hit the back of the cage to help the Saint Francis field hockey team to a 4-0 win against Bellarmine in the season opener for both teams on Friday night.
>> Brooklyn Widdess, Sofia Marciano, Morgan Smeltz and Grace Reed all rattled the cage in the winning effort.
>> Mia DiGenova had three saves in the second half after the Saint Francis defense held the Knights without a shot in the opening half.
>> The win was the first for a Saint Francis team in the 2025-26 season.
TURNING POINT OF THE GAME
Widdess got the scoring started with a penalty-stroke goal early in the second quarter at 19:19. DiGenova and the Red Flash defense did the rest to hold Bellarmine off the scoreboard for the 60 minutes.
FLASH MOMENTS
The lead would stand for the Red Flash until the second half when Marciano scored off feeders from T Ciaccia and Madison Waldspurger off a penalty corner at 40:25.
Smeltz increased the lead to three goals when she notched her first collegiate tally off an assist from Emilee Myers, who assisted the decisive goal in last year's 3-2 season-opening win at Ball State.
Reed then sealed the win off a connection from Kylee Hager for her first collegiate assist in the 57th minute.
FLASH NUGGETS
Widdess notched her first Saint Francis tally after posting three goals at Converse College in 2023 before arriving in Loretto. The junior had two assists in 2024.
Marciano recorded her fourth collegiate goal. fourth on the squad with three goals and an assist in her freshman campaign. Reed notched her third career score thanks to posting a goal in each of her three seasons.
DiGenova registered her fourth career shutout after recording three last season in her first full season in the cage.
Waldspurger, the reigning Northeast Conference Defensive Player of the Year, came into the season ninth in program history in points with 14 goals and 12 assists for 40 points and added to her career total with the helper against Bellarmine.
Ciaccia added her third career assist after two assists in 2024, while Myers has two goals and three assists for seven points in her career. Hager had two goals In her freshman year before posting her first career assist on Friday night.
Saint Francis opened the season with a win for the third-straight campaign, marking the second time in team history the team won the inaugural game of a season in three consecutive campaigns.
It was the team's fourth shutout on opening day in team history and the second on the road. The Red Flash defeated Ball State 4-0 in the 2018 season opener for the only other season-opening shutout away from DeGol Field.
NEXT ON TAP
Saint Francis wraps up its opening weekend at Miami (Ohio) on Sunday. Game time is 1 p.m.
