Posted: Nov 07, 2012
Lady AMCATS Season Ends In ECAC Quarterfinal
Anna Maria
(14-8)
1
U. of New England
(11-9)
4
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Anna Maria (14-8) | 1 | 0 | 1 |
|
U. of New England (11-9) | 2 | 2 | 4 |
BIDDEFORD, Maine -- After falling behind early, fourth-seeded University of New England scored the last four goals of the game to move on in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III New England Field Hockey Championship with a 4-1 quarterfinal-round victory over No. 5 Anna Maria College on Wednesday (Nov. 7) at a wind-chilled Big Blue Turf.
The Nor'easters (11-9) will head to top-seeded Bridgewater State University for the first of two semifinal matches on Saturday. Game time is set for 12 p.m.
The AMCATS' year comes to an end with an overall mark of 14-8.
Anna Maria got on the board first with 7:03 gone when senior Marybeth McClune (Worcester, Mass.) tallied her team-leading 20th marker of the season off a rebound at the left post.
Junior Brittany Liptak (Westfield, Mass.) struck for a pair of goals to lead UNE, including what proved to be the game-winner with just over 12 minutes left in the opening half.
Big Blue senior Laura Egounis (Boscawen, N.H.) answered in the 16th minute, sending in a drive from the top of the arc. Junior Hayley LaPointe (Topsham, Maine) and classmate Emily Koehler (Pelham, N.H.) assisted on the play.
Then Liptak tipped-in a shot off the stick of LaPointe to give the hosts a 2-1 edge at the break. The Nor'easters finished the period with a 16-5 advantage in shot attempts, although the penalty corner totals were even at 7-7.
Liptak from junior Casey Clark (Bethlehem, N.H.) made it 3-1 in the 43rd minute of action, and sophomores Erin Bibber (Charlton, Mass.) and Hannah Cutting (Sebago, Maine) connected for Bibber's fourth goal of the year just 50 seconds later to increase the margin to three.
UNE built a 20-5 margin in shots during the final 35 minutes, and closed with a 10-1 difference in corners during the half.
The AMCATS received 16 saves from first-year Mary Kate Breen (Londonderry, N.H.) -- including a stop with her blocker on a penalty stroke try in the waning seconds of regulation. Junior Nicole Morrison (Rutland, Mass.) also contributed a defensive save for the visitors.