DOYLESTOWN, Pa. – The Delaware Valley field hockey team saved its best for last, breaking a scoreless tie in the fourth quarter to earn a 1-0 shutout victory over King's and secure its first conference win of the season on Senior Day, closing out the Aggies' 2026 home schedule on a high note.
King's controlled the offensive opportunities in the opening half, recording all four shots and earning two penalty corners. Senior goalkeeper
Shaelynn Castanaga-Acerra turned aside two attempts to keep the Monarchs off the scoreboard as the teams entered halftime deadlocked at 0-0.
The Aggies found their offensive rhythm in the third quarter, earning four penalty corners in a three-minute span.
Lily Henicheck put a shot on goal during the fourth opportunity, but King's goalkeeper Tierney Hogan made the save to preserve the scoreless tie. The Monarchs responded with three consecutive shots in a scramble in front of the net in the 42nd minute, but Castanaga-Acerra stood tall, denying each attempt to keep the game even heading into the final quarter.
With the game still scoreless, DelVal continued to press.
Isabella Davis recorded back-to-back shots in the 48th and 49th minutes, but Hogan kept both out of the net. The sustained pressure finally paid off when first-year
Caylen Taylor broke through in the 50th minute. Working the ball in from the top left of the circle, Taylor dribbled across the attacking area before firing a shot from the right side into the bottom-left corner, beating Hogan to give the Aggies the long-awaited 1-0 lead.
With the breakthrough in hand, DelVal turned its attention to protecting the advantage. The Aggies held firm over the final 10 minutes, shutting down the Monarchs' attack and allowing no additional shots to secure the shutout and send the home crowd out with a Senior Day victory.
Castanaga-Acerra anchored the defensive effort with five saves, matching her career high set against Eastern in 2023. The win marked the second of her career and capped a memorable home finale for the senior goalkeeper.
The Aggies return to action on Wednesday, October 28, traveling to face FDU-Florham at 4 p.m.
