Gwynedd Valley, Pa.- 10/3/2026 — The Gwynedd Mercy University (0-10, 0-1 UEC) field hockey team battled through its United East Conference opener Saturday afternoon, receiving strong individual efforts while competing in an important game for an even greater cause. The Griffins fell to St. Mary's College of Maryland (4-5, 1-0 UEC), 9-1, but sophomore midfielder Molly Botthof (Philadelphia, Pa.) provided a bright spot with a second-half goal.
Griffin Highlights
- Gwynedd Mercy and St. Mary's played to a scoreless opening quarter, with junior goalkeeper Kelly Weaver (Flemington, N.J.)Â making one save and the Griffins' defense working to keep the Seahawks off the scoreboard. Â St. Mary's eventually broke through at 17:27 and carried a 3-0 advantage into halftime.
- At 35:42, Botthof finished a chance set up by Gianna Radcliffe (Harleysville, Pa.) to give Gwynedd Mercy its first goal of the afternoon. The tally represented a positive offensive moment for the Griffins and gave the team an important spark to open the second half.
- Gwynedd Mercy earned four penalty corners, including three in the second quarter, while both of the Griffins' shots were on goal.
- The Red and Gold went pink for the day, using its home field to support METAvivor and help raise awareness for metastatic breast cancer research as Breast Cancer Awareness Month begins.  Shirts are still available for sale for those interested; contact Meghan Sacks at sacks.m@gmercy.edu if so.
The Griffins return to action Wednesday, October 7, traveling to FDU-Florham for a 5 p.m. contest.
