Strittmatter Lifts Dukes Past Longwood

Friday, November 1

Farmville, Va.

5 p.m.

James Madison University

(13-4, 7-0MAC)

Longwood

(4-12, 2-6MAC)

James Madison

Longwood

11/1/2024 8:30:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

FARMVILLE, Va. – Cassidy Strittmatter recorded a brace to lead James Madison past Longwood with a 2-0 road win in Mid-American Conference field hockey action at Elizabeth Burger Jackson Field on Friday night.

With the win, JMU (13-4, 7-0 MAC) clinched a first-round bye at 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, junior Alice Roeper and graduate student Mia Julian chipped in on the offensive end with an assist each. Senior Katie Fricke made a pair of stops for her second career solo shutout.

Sophie Mooldijk registered eight saves for the Lancers, including one on a penalty stroke attempt.

Quoting Head Coach Christy Morgan
"Longwood came to play – they were dynamic and eager. It really did elevate our game. We competed hard and played connected hockey. I'm so proud of our growth. I'm excited because the team is not satisfied; they want more and there's so much more within them! We will clean up a few things tomorrow at practice to be ready for the next opportunity. Every game we look to be one percent better and the growth throughout the season has been amazing!"

How It Happened

The Dukes broke through on a penalty corner early in the second period with a reverse shot from Roeper at the top of the circle that was deflected in by Strittmatter.
Julian dribbled into the left side of the circle and passed in front to Strittmatter who tapped it in to put JMU ahead 2-0 at the 11:21 mark of the third.
Roeper was tripped in the circle halfway through the fourth to draw a penalty stroke. On the attempt, Mooldijk made a diving save at the left post to keep it 2-0.

Game Notes

James Madison leads Longwood, 25-3, and has won 24 consecutive games against the Lancers in the all-time series.
The Dukes have outscored MAC opponents 25-4 through seven league games so far this season.
The result marks JMU's fourth consecutive shutout in conference play. Previously, JMU blanked Kent State (3-0, Oct. 11), Bellarmine (6-0, Oct. 18) and Ball State (4-0, Oct. 27).
With an assist, Roeper has registered points in 10 of her last 11 games.
Strittmatter's two goals give her 10 total 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 a single season was in 2022 when Eveline Zwager and Diede Remijnse both found the back of the net 10 times.

Up Next
The Dukes will return to Harrisonburg to host App State (10-7, 6-1 MAC) for Senior Day on Nov. 3. Game time is slated for 1 p.m. and will stream on ESPN+.