HARTFORD, Conn. – The Trinity College field hockey team pitched a 5-0 shutout over St. John Fisher College to advance out of the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Wednesday night at Robin L. Sheppard Field. The victory marked the ninth time the Bantams have won an opening round game in the NCAA Tournament. Trinity will face Kean University on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Babson Park, Mass. in the second round of the bracket. 
 
Just 1:16 into action, sophomore Katrina Winfield redirected a shot from classmate Molly King which snuck past the keeper to give Trinity the 1-0 lead. Following a scoreless second period, St. John Fisher's best scoring chance throughout the game came at the 33-minute mark when Bre Socker created an opportunity off of a penalty corner and rocketed a shot into the legs of Olivia McMichael who made the kick save. 
 
Five minutes later, senior Meghan Evans gave the Bantams a 2-0 lead with the help of Riley Nichols. Nichols' initial shot was saved by the foot of Fisher goalkeeper Sophia Trozzi but followed up by Evans who swatted the ball out of the air and into the cage. Nearly a minute later, sophomore Jackie Frank played the ball in to senior Caelin Flaherty who finished the job and gave the Bantams a comfortable 3-0 lead. Senior Christine Taylor added Trinity's fourth goal of the night off a penalty stroke while Winfield found the back of the cage for the second time in the contest to put Trinity up 5-0 with less than a minute remaining. 
 
Trinity outshot the Cardinals 29-3 and held a 3-1 advantage in penalty corners. Trozzi collected 11 saves for St. John Fisher while McMichael tallied a pair of her own and picked up her second shutout this year. Winfield's goals marked her second and third of the season while also registering her first two-goal game of her career. Evans goal was good for her first this season while King recorded her first-career assist. Flaherty, who was recently named to the All-NESCAC First Team, added her 19th goal of 2021.