MERION STATION, Pa. –
Cassidy Atchison scored a pair of goals in the final seven minutes of the fourth quarter to lead the 12th-ranked Saint Joseph's field hockey team past #24 Ohio State, 4-3, at Ellen Ryan Field on Sunday afternoon.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Saint Joseph's (14-4) got on the board right away as
Freke van Tilburg scored her league-leading 12th goal of the season on a penalty corner just 85 seconds into the game. Atchison and
Katy Benton tallied the assists.
• Ohio State (7-11) answered five minutes later through Jessica Hourihane, and the game remained level at a goal apiece at halftime.
• The Buckeyes took the lead early in the third on a goal by Sarah Charley, but
Sol Borensztein notched the equalizer three minutes later, picking up a rebound and firing a rocket past OSU's Aaliyah Hernandez.
• In the fourth, Ohio State would take the lead once more on a goal by Emma Goldean inside of 12 minutes remaining.
• The Hawks ratcheted up the pressure, and it paid off in a corner attempt with just under seven minutes to go. Atchison inserted to Benton, who sent a pass across to van Tilburg; her feed was then tipped home by Atchison to tie the game.
• In the final minute, Benton intercepted a ball near midfield and split the defense for a free run into the circle. She was fouled from behind, leading to a penalty stroke; Atchison was true from the spot with 55 seconds to go to give the Hawks the victory.
BEHIND THE BOX SCORE
• It was a tight affair throughout, with Ohio State holding a 9-8 edge in total shots and a 7-5 advantage in shots on target. The Hawks earned seven corners, while Ohio State tallied six; the teams combined for five goals as a result of the 13 corners.
•
Robin Bleekemolen made four saves for the Hawks, while Hernandez made one stop. Abby Danson came on for the pivotal penalty stroke attempt and was charged with the loss.
• The Buckeyes' first-quarter goal ended the Hawks' regulation shutout streak of 386:44; SJU had not conceded a goal in regulation since a third-quarter penalty stroke against Delaware on October 1.
UP NEXT
The Hawks earned the top seed for the Atlantic 10 Field Hockey Championship, which will be held at Ellen Ryan Field this Friday and Saturday. Saint Joseph's will meet fourth-seeded Richmond on Friday at 11:00 a.m.; the winner will face either second-seeded VCU or third-seeded UMass in the title game on Saturday.
