Springfield, MA
– The Worcester State field hockey team advanced to the
championship game of the Zanaty Invitational at Springfield
College defeating Western New England College, 2-1 in
overtime. In the first game of the day, Springfield ran
past RPI, 5-1.
Worcester State took a 1-0 lead into the half
on the strength of an unassisted goal by junior forward
Ginelle Blais (Marlboro, Mass.). That score came with 21:53
left in that half.
But WNEC came back to tie matters with 12:16
remaining in the game when senior forward Cori Eggert
(Denville, N.J.) tallied. Her goal was also unassisted.
Both teams had opportunities to score at the
end of regulation and within the first 10 minutes of the
first sudden death overtime. Finally, with 4:50 left in that
overtime session, the Lancers scored on a goal by freshman
forward Angela Johnson (Ashby, Mass.), again unassisted.
For the Golden Bears of WNEC, senior Emilie
Donka (White River Jct., Vt.) was credited with 21 saves in
goal, including five in overtime. For WSC, senior goalkeeper
Erin MacDonald (Dedham, Mass.) had 16 saves. Worcester State
outshot WNEC, 23-17.
Worcester State will now appear in the
championship game Sunday at 1 pm versus the host Pride. The
consolation game will take place Sunday at 11 am between
WNEC and Rensselaer.
The Springfield College field hockey team
defeated Rensselaer, 5-1, this morning in the first round of
the Zenaty Invitational, hosted by Springfield College on
newly renamed and newly resurfaced Stagg Field (formerly
known as Benedum Field). In the other first-round contest
played this afternoon, Worcester State defeated Western New
England College, 2-1, in sudden death overtime.
The tourney is named for Dottie Potter
Zenaty, head field hockey coach at Springfield College for a
34-year period. With 377 victories, she is the winningest
coach in New England college field hockey history.
Ranked #15 in the National Field Hockey
Coaches Association Division III preseason poll, Springfield
found itself trailing, 1-0, just 6:44 into the match when
RPI junior forward Kerri Clark (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.)
tallied the first goal. She was assisted by junior forward
Sara Stylinski (Southington, Conn.).
But junior forward Jane Kelleher (Chatham,
Mass.) scored two goals in a rapid-fire span of 1:42 in the
latter stages of the first half to give the Pride a 2-1 edge
at the intermission. The first of Kelleher’s goals was
assisted by senior forward Brittany Veazie (Dexter, Me.),
the reigning New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic
Conference Player of the Year, with 10:09 remaining in the
half. Kelleher’s second goal with 7:27 left in the half was
unassisted.
The second stanza pretty much belonged to the
Pride. The first goal of that half was scored by sophomore
forward Allie Baier (Farmington, Conn.), assisted by junior
midfielder Allie Eisle (Walton, N.Y.) with 14:20 left.
Veazie then took over by scoring the game’s final two goals.
Her first came with 7:46 left and was unassisted. Her second
came with 3:30 left and was assisted by freshman forward
Megan Dobson (Longmeadow, Mass.).
Springfield wound up outshooting the Red
Hawks of Rensselaer, 27-8. Of RPI’s eight shots, seven were
credited in the first half. The Pride’s senior goalkeeper
Emma Kaplan (Ridgefield, Conn.) was credited with six saves,
while giving up the lone goal. For RPI, freshman goalkeeper
Lauren Fernandes (Orange, Ohio) was credited with 21 saves,
of which 14 came in the first half.
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