HARRISONBURG, Va. – Tied 1-1 at halftime, Justina Intzes recorded a second-half brace to lift No. 18 Miami (Ohio) past James Madison, 3-1, on Friday afternoon in Mid-American Conference play at the JMU Field Hockey Complex.
JMU (8-6, 3-2 MAC) was set back in the fourth quarter with three cards in the frame, including two in the final five minutes. The RedHawks (8-4, 4-1 MAC) scored an empty-net goal with 2:41 remaining, their only shot of the fourth.
Madelief Molier produced JMU's lone goal of the day, giving her 12 on the season. Goalkeeper
Molly Schreiner made four stops, allowing two goals in 56:54 of action in cage.
For Miami (Ohio), Justina Intzes paced her squad with two goals, while Malena Sabez registered the game's opening goal on a penalty corner with assists from Berta Mata and Becca Lawn. Nicky Sjouken picked up the win with seven saves, facing eight JMU corners.
How It Happened
- Sabez found the back of the net with a direct shot to the bottom left of the goal on a penalty corner halfway through the first, with the insertion by Lawn and stop by Mata.
- Less than a minute into the second quarter, an inlet pass from Ava Drexler-Amey deflected off multiple sticks before being batted in by Molier to tie the game at 1-1.
- Intzes tapped in a loose ball at the 9:39 mark of the third to give the RedHawks a 2-1 advantage heading into the fourth.
- Trailing 2-1, JMU pulled Schreiner and put on Elena Giangaspero as an extra attacker. However, Miami (Ohio) took advantage of the empty net and a card handed out to the Dukes, with Intzes scoring from the right side of the circle to secure the 3-1 victory.
Game Notes
- JMU and Miami (Ohio) were nearly even in shots (13-12), shots (8-7) and corners (8-6).
- Molier boasts a team-leading 12 goals, finding the back of the net seven times in the last six games.
- The loss was James Madison's first on a Friday since 2023 when it suffered a 4-1 defeat at the hands of No. 4 Louisville on Sept. 22.
Up Next
The Dukes will complete their four-game homestand when they welcome MAC-foe Massachusetts to town on Friday, Oct. 17. Game time is slated for 2 p.m. and will stream on ESPN+.