(Carlisle, Pa.) – The Dickinson field hockey team turned in a strong performance, but suffered a tough, 1-0, setback to the #15-ranked University of Mary Washington on Tuesday afternoon. The Red Devils were solid on both ends of the field, but one strong counter put the Eagles on the board.

Mary Washington went on the offensive, right out of the gate, making a strong surge, five minutes into the contest. Senior goaltender Emily Fuss (Newtown Square, Pa./Academy of Notre Dame) turned away a shot and classmate Caroline Karwel (Fairfax Station, Va./South County Secondary) came away with two huge defensive saves on a Mary Washington penalty corner.

The Eagles kept the pressure on, forcing eight corners in the first half. They held a 16-5 shot advantage, but Fuss was solid, making seven saves in the first half while Karwel helped keep the game even as the teams headed into halftime.

The Red Devils had a great chance with 10 minutes to play in the first half as Chelsea Kramer (New Vernon, N.J./Morristown Beard) fired a shot that was saved by first-year goaltender Jessica Cavolt. Sophomore Alex Bonser (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven) collected the rebound, forcing another save by Cavolt and had another shot blocked to keep the score tied at 0-0.

Cavolt kicked away another strong shot as junior Merritt Davis (Baltimore, Md./Garrison Forest) sent a blast at the goal on a late penalty corner.

The Eagles came out pressing, immediately after halftime, forcing back-to-back saves from Fuss in the opening minute of the second half. Karwel came through big again, making her third defensive save of the game.

Both defenses continued to stall the opposing attacks with strong play on both sides on the field. Mary Washington would finally break through, capitalizing on a great build out of the midfield. Sophomore Allegra Massey-Elim gained possession in the midfield and made a nice dodge into the attacking third.

Massey- Elim carried the ball into the circle and found senior Jenna Steele on the left for a great look at the goal. Steele did not waste the opportunity, putting a well-place shot in the corner of the cage to put the Eagles on the board, with 9:15 remaining in the game.

The Eagles held the momentum as they looked to add some insurance, but Fuss tallied four more saves to keep the final, 1-0.

Fuss finished with 15 saves on the day, while Karwell tallied three defensive saves to go with an outstanding performance in the midfield.

Mary Washington outshout the Devils 29-10 and held a 13-6 advantage in corners. Dickinson did make the most of its chances, forcing six big saves by Cavolt, making her earn the shutout.

The Eagles improve to 9-3 overall while the Red Devils slip to 8-4. Dickinson is home again on Saturday, hosting Washington College in a key Centennial Conference match-up at 12:00 pm.