College Field Hockey
NEC Championship Game
Lock Haven University 3, Rider University 1
LOCK HAVEN, PA? The Rider field hockey season came to an end with a loss to top seeded and tournament host Lock Haven in the Northeast Conference Championship game, held at the Charlotte Smith Field on the Lock Haven campus Saturday. “At the beginning of the season we were very young, with only four starters back from last year, so we are very proud that we made it this far,” said Rider head coach Lori Hussong.
Rider was picked to finish fourth in the NEC preseason poll. “Obviously you always want to win the championship, but I felt that we improved a great deal this season, we learned a lot, and hopefully that will carry over to next year,” Hussong said.
Junior Tricia Crotty (Lewistown, Pa./Indian Valley), a Second Team All-NEC forward, gave Rider a 1-0 lead on Rider's first and only shot of the game 26:40 into the first half. The goal was Crotty's team-high tenth of the season and 32nd of her career, eighth highest ever at Rider. “The defense hit it up to Walk, who dribbled it for a while and hit it to me,” Crotty explained. “I beat one player, did a move and just shot it. Luckily it went in. I was so excited because usually the first goal is big. It gives you the momentum. I was hoping once we got the first goal we would get another one right away.”
The goal was set up by senior Steph Walker (Lyman, Maine/Massabesic), a First Team All-NEC forward who dribbled 20 yards with the ball before passing to Crotty, who scored from 10 yards out. “(Freshman) Lindsay Rajeski (New Egypt) got the ball by completely pressuring the Lock Haven player,” Walker said. “I called for it in and she sent it to the inside. I saw Trish right ahead so I took it to her, having to lift it over the defenders stick, and Tricia just got it and pulled it in and shot it into the cage. I was very excited when it went in. It helped our players believe we are in this game.”
Walker graduates with 90 career points, sixth highest ever at Rider. “Walk raised the level of our game,” Hussong said. “If she had been injury free during her career her numbers would be even greater. She went out playing the best field hockey she has ever played and I'm really happy for her.”
Walker was twice a Second Team and twice a First Team All-NEC selection in her outstanding career.
Walker, Crotty and junior Julie Vaccarelli (Oceanport, N.J./Shore Regional), a Second Team All-NEC defender, were named to the all-tournament team.
Lock Haven senior midfielder Blair Wynne (Arima, Trinidad & Tobago/Sangre Grande) the NEC Player of the Year and NEC Offensive Player of the Year, scored a goal and an assist to lead the Lady Eagles to their second consecutive NEC Title. “We played hard, but Lock Haven is just so offensive,” Hussong said.
Wynne took a long shot that freshman Amy Hordendorf (Topton, Pa./Brandywine Heights) the conference Rookie of the Year, deflected into the net to break a 1-1 tie five minutes into the second half.
Wynne scored an unassisted goal with 18 minutes remaining for the final score. Wynne, who was also named Player of the Year in 2005, was named the tournament MVP.
Megan Bullock took a pass from Alana Lewis (Trinidad & Tobago/Southeast Port of Spain) the NEC Defensive Player of the Year, and scored on an 18-yard blast to tie the score at 1-1 with 4:40 left in the first half.
The Lady Eagles out-shot Rider 18-1 for the game.
Lock Haven had seven corners to Rider's zero. “I felt if we could have held them off and not given them as many corners as they had, we would have had a better chance,” Hussong said. Two of Lock Haven's goals were scored off of penalty corners. “When you give a team like Lock Haven that many corners they are going to score.”
Rider senior Jen LoCastro (Cherry Hill, N.J./Camden Catholic), the NEC Goalie of the Year, made six saves.
Rider finishes the season with an 11-9 record. “Making it to this game was a huge accomplishment and a testament to everyone's hard work and dedication throughout the season,” Walker added.
Lock Haven (17-5), also the 2006 NEC Champion, will now play the winner of the NorPac November 6, at either Stanford or California.
Lock Haven is 29-2 in NEC regular season play, one of those two losses coming to Rider in 2005.
The Broncs are now 1-5 against Lock Haven since the series began in 2004. Rider defeated Lock Haven 2-1 at Rider during the 2005 season. Lock Haven won the initial contest 2-1 here at Lock Haven during the 2004 season, and the Bald Eagles beat Rider 2-1 twice here on the Charlotte Smith Field in 2006, during the regular season and in the NEC semi-finals last year. This year at Rider the Haven prevailed 4-1.
The Broncs won the final three games of the regular season and entered the championship game on a four-game winning streak with five wins in the last six games.
Rider reached the finals for the seventh time in eight years by defeating Sacred Heart 3-1 Friday in the semi-finals. No other NEC team has reached the playoffs eight straight years, and none made it to the finals seven times in eight years as Rider did.
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