Oct. 16, 2009

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - A steady rain and temperatures in the low 40s couldn't cool off the Saint Joseph's field hockey team as the Hawks celebrated Senior Day with a dominant 3-0 win over #10 Massachusetts on Friday afternoon at Buckley Field. Senior Anne Schreuders scored her first career hat trick, providing all three SJU goals in the contest. Junior goalkeeper Kelly Swanick recorded her third straight shutout, making eight saves.

Head coach Michelle Finegan was impressed with her team's performance in the miserable conditions.

"It was a great win that showed me we have the kind of team that can win a championship," Finegan said. "[Massachusetts is] a great team - they're number 10 in the country - but we prepared well and had momentum [from last weekend's wins] and to do it on Senior Day was fantastic for our seniors."

In a pregame ceremony, the Hawks honored their four departing seniors - Schreuders, Mary Beaman, Jenn Schultz, and Kellie Walter - for their years of dedication to the program and the University.

Saint Joseph's (5-7, 2-0 Atlantic 10) got on the board almost immediately after the opening whistle. Just 1:53 into the contest, Walter inserted a corner to Schultz, who stopped the ball for a shot by Schreuders. Her blast hit the back of the cage past an outstretched Alesha Widdall to put the Hawks ahead.

The SJU penalty corner combo came through again almost seven minutes later to double the lead. This time, after the play had broken down, Walter found the loose ball to the left of the cage and sent it across to Schreuders for the one-time goal.

Massachusetts (9-5, 0-1 Atlantic 10) carried play for most of the first half from that point forward, but the Hawk defense never let up. The Minutewomen fired 11 shots in the half, but Swanick stood tall and make six saves. SJU had just two, but capitalized on both.

In the second half, the Hawk defense clamped down further, holding UMass to just two shots on goal. The Minutewomen had seven penalty corners in the first half, but did not have a single opportunity in the second. UMass had its best chance to score when Jill Powers took off down the center of the field with just over 16 minutes to go in the contest. However, in a play indicative of the overall intensity of the Saint Joseph's defensive effort, junior Casey Fry chased Powers down and stripped her of the ball at the top of the arc.

Any thoughts of a Massachusetts comeback were put on ice with 9:52 to go when Schreuders took the ball at the top of the arc, dribbled around a defender, and put home a shot from long range. The trio of goals gives her 11 for the season and 22 for her career, moving her into a three-way tie for 10th all-time.

Walter's two assists give her a team-high seven on the year, and 18 for her career. She is tied for seventh in SJU history in that category.

In posting three straight clean sheets, Swanick and the SJU defense have maintained a 211:12 scoreless streak, shutting out four of their last five opponents.

The win was the first for Saint Joseph's over UMass since 2006 and just the fourth all-time. Today's game also marked the first loss for Massachusetts to a conference opponent in over two calendar years.

The Hawks will take the show on the road for their next three games, starting next Friday at 3:00 p.m. at La Salle. Two days later SJU will head to West Chester for another pivotal A-10 matchup before facing Villanova two days after that. SJU returns to Buckley Field for its home finale on October 30 against Richmond.