BUENA VISTA, Va. -- The Southern Virginia University Field Hockey team got their 2023 campaign underway Saturday afternoon and fell to the Ferrum College Panthers 4-1.
The first quarter was a back-and-forth affair as the Knights and Panthers rattled off shots, with three for Ferrum and 2 for Southern Virginia. Still, the Panthers struck early in the second quarter with a penalty goal from Rylee Staples and then scored again near the end of the half to put the Knights behind.

The Knights struggled to break through Ferrum's resilient defense, and their troubles continued when Sara Rah scored an unassisted goal at the 33-minute and 46-second mark, putting the Panthers ahead 3-0. It was a tough first half for the Knights. Still, Southern Virginia showed their resilience and determination when Ellie Egnew finally broke Ferrum's defense at the 48-minute and 8-second mark. Rachel Emel provided the crucial assist, injecting some life into the Knights' offense.

Despite their best efforts, the Knights couldn't overcome the early deficit, and the game concluded with a final score of 4-1 in favor of the Ferrum College Panthers. While the Knights faced a tough loss, they demonstrated their fighting spirit in the second half.

Southern Virginia is back in action at Sweet Briar College next week on Wednesday, September 6th. The game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

For all the most up-to-date information regarding Southern Virginia University Field Hockey, please visit knightathletics.com and follow @knight_fh on Instagram.