MIDDLEBURY, Vt. - The Tufts field hockey team (15-4) defeated SUNY New Paltz (17-3) by a score of 5-2 on a rainy Saturday afternoon at Middlebury College in the second round of the NCAA Championship. Tufts advances to face rival Middlebury on Sunday at 1 p.m. with a berth into the "Final Four" on the line.
The Jumbos took a commanding 3-0 lead at the half today. Gillian Roeca, the top scorer for Tufts on the year, scored all three goals for a hat trick. Tufts extended its lead to 5-0 with goals by Claire Foley and Beth Krikorian in the third quarter before New Paltz broke up the shutout with goals scored by Julia Cummings and Jamie Wagner in the fourth period.
Tufts came out getting the first three shots on goal. Krikorian had the first shot just 1:42 into the action which sailed just wide. Roeca scored on just the second shot of the game when she set up right in front of the goal and sent the ball over goalie Ryan Dowling in the fifth minute. The Jumbos would strike again just three minutes later when Roeca charged down the field and buried her shot in the bottom corner of the cage.
Roeca claimed her third goal of the game off a corner in the 26th minute when Krikorian received the insert and set Roeca up for the shot. The goal marked her 15th of the season - sixth on the team's all-time list - and third on the day.
The Hawks were limited to two shots in the first half. Shannon Bernhardt got a good opportunity, but her attempt went just wide at the eight-minute point of the first period. The combined efforts of goalies Dowling and Mackenzie Mortimer would help keep the Hawks in the game as they made 11 total saves (six by Mortimer). Dowling had several good saves including on shots by Roeca and Krikorian which came just two minutes apart at the 19th and 21st minute in the second quarter.
The start of the second half saw the Jumbos pick up right where they left off when Foley blasted a shot from just inside the circle which bounced over the goalie into the back of the cage. This marked her 11th goal of the season at the 33rd minute. At the 36th minute Krikorian hit the ball into the corner of the cage off a beautiful pass from Roeca, who had a seven-point game.
New Paltz continued to fight when a corner set up Jessica Ascencao for a shot in which a defensive save was made by Melissa Manzello. Cummings picked up a loose ball in front of the goal and notched the first Hawks score of the game with just under nine minutes remaining in regulation. Then with just one second remaining in the game the Hawks scored again in similar fashion. A shot off a corner was stopped by Tufts goalie Emma Smith, but picked up by Wagner who put the ball in the back of the cage.
Tufts spread the wealth with seven different players getting shots on goal. Roeca led with seven shots on goal. They had a 24-8 advantage in overall shots, and 5-3 on corners. Smith and Andie Stallman made saves for Tufts, while starter Sam Gibby did not need to stop a shot.
Middlebury defeated Endicott College 3-1 in the other game at the site today. The Panthers and Tufts will play tomorrow in the Regional final for a chance to go on to the national semifinals at Trinity College next weekend.
