College Field Hockey
Northeast Conference Semi-Finals
#2 Rider University 3, #3 Sacred Heart University 1
LAWRENCEVILLE?For the seventh time in eight seasons, the Rider University field hockey team has advanced to the Northeast Conference championship game, having defeated the Sacred Heart Pioneers 3-1 on Friday in the NEC semifinals. “We played really well as a team,” said head coach Lori Hussong. “I feel that we are playing our best field hockey of the season right now.”
For Rider (11-8), freshman Amanda Barretta (Roseland, N.J./West Essex) scored her third goal of the season with 15:23 remaining for the game-winner. “The goalie cleared it out and I intercepted it, shot it and it went in,” Barretta remembered. “I just looked up and shot it.”
“Amanda has improved so much this season,” Hussong said. “She came out of a championship program at West Essex and she played like a champion today. When the game is on the line and you need someone to step up and get tough, you can depend on her to do the job.”
Rider senior goalie Jen LoCastro (Cherry Hill, N.J./Camden Catholic) made two saves to pick up her 11th win of the season. Rider out-shot Sacred Heart 13-6 in the game and held a 6-5 penalty corner advantage.
“J-Lo, just like every game this season has come up big for us,” said Hussong about the NEC Goalkeeper of the Year. “She stopped two breakaways in the game and took control and really inspired our defense to get tougher and get the job done.”
“We've really been pulling together on defense,” said junior back Julie Vaccarelli (Oceanport, N.J./Shore Regional) who led the conference with seven defensive saves. “Having J-Lo behind us is huge. We have so much confidence in her that she is going to come up with the big saves.”
Junior Tricia Crotty (Lewistown, Pa./Indian Valley) added an insurance goal from sophomore Erin McGinniss (Newton, N.J./Kittatinny Regional) with 5:10 left for the final score.
Crotty leads Rider with nine goals this season and has 31 goals in her career including three in NEC postseason play. Crotty scored twice against Fairfield in Rider's NEC semifinal win over the Stags her freshman season.
Senior Stephanie Walker (Lyman, Maine/Massabesic) scored her seventh goal of the season, just six minutes in to give Rider the early lead and the Broncs led 1-0 at halftime.
Sacred Heart tied the game with 23 minutes remaining in the game. “I was concerned when Sacred Heart tied the game,” Hussong added. “We didn't start the second half with a fighting spirit and didn't play our game. We stopped being aggressive and we learned that lesson the hard way when Sacred Heart tied the score.”
Walker now has 36 goals in her career, tied for fifth best all-time on the Rider scoring list. Walker now has two NEC playoff goals having scored during the 2004 NEC semifinal game against Monmouth.
“It was a very upbeat game,” Barretta added. “It was much more intense than when we played Sacred Heart earlier this season.” Rider defeated the Pioneers 3-1 on October 21.
Winners of four straight, Rider will face defending conference champion Lock Haven (16-5) in the championship game on Saturday at 1:00pm. The Lady Eagles defeated Saint Francis, Pa. (4-13) 3-0 earlier on Friday and have won eight straight.
Lock Haven defeated the Broncs 4-1 on October 12. Rider is 1-4 all-time against Lock Haven having defeated the Lady Eagles during the 2005 regular season.
“We are going to do the best job we can,” Hussong said. “In tournament play, if everyone does the best job they can, anything can happen.”
“We are going to go out and play together and play as hard as we can,” Barretta said. “We are going to give it our best.”
Rider won the 2000, 2002 and 2004 conference postseason tournament and won the NEC regular season title in 2001, 2003 and 2005. Last season, the Broncs were eliminated in the semifinals 2-1 by eventual NEC champion Lock Haven.
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