ASTON, Pa. – The Neumann University field hockey team defeated Centenary University 9-3 on Wednesday afternoon in the home opener for the Knights.
 
Bri Lagroteria, Erica D'Mello and Julia Lee all found the back of the cage twice. Five Knights tallied multiple points in the contest.
 
Mary Miller started the game in the cage and made four saves in the first half. Meg Frame saw her first collegiate action in the second half and picked up the win. Neumann outshot Centenary 21-11 overall and 17-7 on net. Tiffany Flowers led the Knights with five shots.
 
The teams played to a scoreless first quarter. The Cyclones opened the scoring in the 22^nd minute. Lagroteria tied the game at one three minutes later off an assist from Skyler Lemma. Nicole Turner scored her first collegiate goal, off a pass from Lagroteria, two minutes later for a 2-1 lead. Just before halftime, Centenary tied the game at two for a tied score at the break.
 
Lagroteria scored her second goal of the contest six minutes into the second half off an assist from Turner. D'Mello tallied her first goal just before the third quarter ended and Neumann took a 4-2 lead into the final 15 minutes.
 
Julia Lee netted a pair of goals in a four minute span to start the fourth quarter, both coming off assists from D'Mello. Sam Picker joined the scoresheet with a goal in the 56^th minute off a pass from Lemma. After a scrum in front of the net, the Knights were awarded a penalty stroke. Nani Espada converted the attempt for an 8-2 lead.
 
Centenary scored its third goal in the 58^th minute. D'Mello wrapped up the scoring with a goal with 24 seconds left in regulation for the 9-3 final.
 
Neumann (1-1) will host Bryn Athyn on Saturday afternoon. Action is slated to get underway at 1:00 PM.