OAKLAND – After every practice, Ursuline junior Sloane Seago places a ball on the painted spot where strokes are taken and wrists a shot into the cage.
“I practice them just for fun, but we never come across them in a game. It’s very rare,” Seago said.
That rarity occurred Wednesday when Seago was fouled during the final, penalty shootout attempt of the game against conference rival Cor Jesu.
Awarded a stroke that would decide the outcome, Seago placed the ball on the familiar, painted square and cleared her mind.
“I went up there, didn’t think about it, and let my hands take over,” Seago said.
Seago’s hands fired a perfect shot into the corner of the cage to tie the penalty shootout at two goals apiece and end the game in a 1-1 draw. The result snapped a 19-game losing streak for Ursuline against Cor Jesu that dated back to 2010.
“My girls put the brakes on that (streak). I wish we would have won because I think we had it in us, but we hung on and tied them,” Ursuline coach Roxanne Naeger said.
A 7-on-7 overtime session did not produce a goal despite each team earning multiple penalty corners. The game moved to a 1v1 penalty shootout, in which the ball carrier has 10 seconds to put the ball in the cage.
The first two shooters for each team were denied by outstanding saves from Ursuline goalie Morgan Hollenberg and Cor Jesu goalie Abby Podnar. On the third Cor Jesu attempt, junior Jocelyn Legens was inadvertently struck in the face by the stick of Hollenberg.
Legens was awarded a retake but could not continue, so freshman Emily Reh was called upon as her replacement. In an instant, Reh turned from cheering spectator to active participant.
“It was really nerve-wracking at first, but I calmed myself down,” Reh said. “I thought about what I was going to do and just did it.”
Reh’s first shot was stopped by Hollenberg, but she slammed home the rebound to put Cor Jesu (5-5-1) in the driver’s seat.
“She really stepped up,” Cor Jesu coach Audrey Ploesser said of Reh. “I think she was initially shocked. It definitely put her on the spot, but she has this confidence about her and she handled it so well. It was cool to see.”
Hadley Hockenberry answered for Ursuline with a one-touch move and blast into the cage. Avery Etling gave the Chargers a 2-1 shootout advantage with a patient, eight-second dance before firing a shot that zipped past Hollenberg.
After a save by each goalie, Seago emerged as the final shooter.
In the side pocket of her backpack, Seago keeps two small, rubber ducks called ‘Bear Ducks,’ awarded to the Most Valuable Player of each game for the Bears.
She earned one after scoring a clutch goal that helped Ursuline advance to the state quarterfinals last season. She earned the other as a freshman after a stellar performance against Cor Jesu.
Those two situations converged as Seago stepped up as the final hope for Ursuline to snap a 16-year losing streak against the Chargers.
“I usually don’t take shootouts. It was definitely different, definitely new,” Seago said.
She dribbled straight at the goal and then made a quick move to her right, prompting Podnar to extend her left leg and trip up Seago. Both officials immediately pointed to the stroke spot.
“I got lucky with (being awarded) the stroke,” Seago said. “I was confident. I knew I could do it.”
Ursuline’s last non-loss to Cor Jesu came in a 1-0 victory on Sept. 15, 2009. For 16 years the Chargers had the upper hand, winning 19 games in a row, including five of the last seven by a one-goal margin. That evenly-played history was evident again as the teams went toe-to-toe for five quarters and a penalty shootout session.
“I was proud of how hard they fought during the overtime even though they were exhausted, and our goalie Abby was amazing,” Ploesser said.
The tie placed Ursuline’s record at 4-2-2, with the only two losses coming to final four staples,Villa Duchesne and St. Joseph’s. With a 4-1 victory over rival Nerinx Hall on Monday, Seago and the Bears are not ‘ducking’ anyone as they bear down on the postseason.
“It’s almost a whole new team and we’re definitely getting stronger,” Seago said as she tucked a third rubber duck into the side pocket of her backpack. “There’s still room to improve, but we’re excited.”
For a photo gallery from this game, visit: https://benvessa.smugmug.com/Field-Hockey/2026-Season/Cor-Jesu-vs-Ursuline-09-23-2026