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NEC Championship Recap
Rider Captures NEC Field Hockey Championship
West Long Branch, NJ -- Rider University’s defense stymied Quinnipiac University Sunday afternoon as the Broncs won 2-0 in the Northeast Conference Field Hockey Championships at the Monmouth University Field Hockey Park in West Long Branch, New Jersey.
Rider’s defense held the defending Northeast Conference titleholder and 2002 regular-season champion to just two shots for the game and held Quinnipiac (12-8) without a shot in the second stanza.
Both squads played on an even keel for the first 30 minutes of the contest before Rider (12-7) drew first blood. With 4:06 remaining in the first half, Angela Fuoco (Holmdel, N.J./St. John Vianney) scored an unassisted goal as emerged out a goal-mouth scrum and put the ball past a sprawled out Quinnipiac netminder.
The Broncs added an insurance goal less than two minutes later. This time Fuoco sent a shot goalward and Christina Ang (Somers Point, N.J./Mainland Regional) redirected the shot into the back of the cage.
Rider outshot the Bobcats 13-2 for the contest and owned a 8-2 edge in penalty corner opportunities.
Jennifer Cushinotto (Tuckahoe, N.J./Ocean City) made two saves in goal to pick up the shutout for Rider. Erin McKay (Norwood, Mass./Norwood) had five saves for Quinnipiac.
Ang earned NEC Tournament Most Valuable Player honors. She posted two goals, including the game-winner in double overtime, in Rider’s 3-2 semifinal victory over Sacred Heart. With her goal in the championship game, Ang set the Northeast Conference single-season goal record with 18, surpassing Monmouth’s Gina Chico (17 – 2000).
With the victory, Rider earned a berth in an NCAA play-in game on November 12. The Broncs will travel to face the winner of November 9’s Atlantic 10 Conference Championship game.
NEC Semifinal Recap #1
Quinnipiac Posts 2-0 Win Over Monmouth In NEC Tournament Semifinal
West Long Branch, NJ -- Quinnipiac advanced to the championship game of the Northeast Conference Field Hockey Tournament for the fourth consecutive season with a 2-0 victory over Monmouth University on Friday afternoon in West Long Branch, New Jersey.
Quinnipiac (12-7) the defending Northeast Conference champions set up the opportunity to win their fourth NEC crown in five years behind a two-goal effort off the bench by Kristen McCarthy (Suffern, NY/Suffern).
The two squads went into the intermission with the score knotted at 0-0 after a relatively uneventful first half. The teams combined for just five shots in the opening stanza, but a pair of key defensive saves by Monmouth’s Megan Kenney (Stockton, NJ/Hunterdon Central) and Quinnipiac’s Eileen Gallagher (Drexel Hill, PA/CDS of the Sacred Heart) were needed to keep the slate clean.
McCarthy broke the seal in the 53rd minute of action. Quinnipiac had a penalty corner play go awry, but the Bobcats regrouped and Chelsea Osbrey (North Kingstown, RI/North Kingstown) found an open McCarthy lingering by the goal. Quinnipiac added an insurance goal in the 58th minute as Danielle Avenoso (Pompton Lakes, NJ/Pompton Lakes) rifled a shot goalward where it was redirected into the cage by a charging McCarthy.
Second-team All-Northeast Conference goaltender Erin McKay (Norwood, MA/Norwood) earned her fifth shutout of the season, making one save in goal for the Bobcats.
Quinnipiac outshot the Hawks, 10-5, in the contest, including 7-3 in the pivotal second half.
On Sunday, the Bobcats will play the winner of Friday afternoon’s second semifinal contest between Rider University and Sacred Heart University. Game time for Sunday’s NEC Championship is slated for 1 p.m. at the Monmouth University Field Hockey Park.
NEC Semifinal Recap #2
Rider Advances To NEC Field Hockey Championship
West Long Branch , NJ -- A sudden-death goal by Christina Ang (Somers Point, N.J./Mainland Regional) 25 seconds into the second overtime period thrusted Rider University into its third consecutive Northeast Conference Field Hockey championship game as the Broncs defeated Sacred Heart University, 3-2, at the Monmouth University Field Hockey Park on Friday afternoon.
Rider jumped out to an early lead as Ang scored on a penalty corner set piece with an assist from Courtney Bertos (Morris Knolls, N.J./Morris Knolls) in the 21st minute to take a 1-0 lead.
The Broncs held off the Pioneers for the remainder of the half and went into the intermission with the advantage. The Broncs added an insurance goal in the 43rd minute as Katie Conlon (Rockaway, N.J./Morris Knolls) scored off a rebound to push the cushion to 2-0.
Rider appeared to be cruising to the victory, before Sacred Heart (6-14) went on a scoring flurry with two goals in a span of 1:21. The Pioneers trimmed the lead to 2-1 as Julie Messenger (Hinsdale, N.H./Hinsdale) scored on assist from Allison Enderly (Ocean, N.J./Ocean Township) as SHU capitalized on a penalty corner opportunity with 7:52 remaining in the game. The Pioneers added an equalizer with 6:31 left in regulation as Christy Bobe (Northfield, Mass./Northfield Mt. Hermon) dumped an Enderly pass into the cage to tie the score at 2-2.
Sacred Heart owned a 15-9 edge in penalty corner opportunities, but were outshot 18-11 for the contest.
With the victory, Rider (11-7) advanced to Sunday’s title game where it will face Quinnipiac University for the third straight season. Rider won the confrontation in 2000 and Quinnipiac returned the favor last season. |