MERION STATION, Pa. – The 14th-ranked Saint Joseph's field hockey team turned in a dominant performance on Friday afternoon, using stifling defense and a series of highlight-reel finishes to blank Davidson, 5-0, at Ellen Ryan Field. With the win, the Hawks clinched at least a share of the Atlantic 10 regular season title.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Saint Joseph's (12-4 overall, 6-0 Atlantic 10) wasted no time as
Manu Ghigliotti took a pass from
Maaike Gorissen, bounced it on her stick, and lofted a shot over goalkeeper Cato Roell to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead just 60 seconds into the game.
•
Sol Borensztein pulled off a similar finish, taking a pass from
Kate Crist and scooping a shot high over her shoulder into the cage, to double the advantage with just over a minute remaining in the first quarter.
• As the seconds ticked down toward the final minute of the opening half,
Lily Santi got on the board with a thunderbolt from the top of the circle; the ball blistered the underside of the crossbar and went in for a three-goal halftime lead.
• Santi struck again with just over a minute to play in the third quarter, taking a pass from Ghigliotti at the post on a penalty corner sequence for her second tally of the day.
• Borensztein closed the scoring with three minutes to go in the fourth; she dribbled into the circle and fired low into the corner for her second goal of the game.
BEHIND THE BOX SCORE
• Saint Joseph's outshot Davidson (5-11 overall, 0-6 Atlantic 10) by a 21-2 margin. Roell made six saves for the Wildcats, while
Janelle Ward was not called on for the Hawks in the first half.
Marith Bijkerk made one save in relief for SJU.
• The Hawks earned 14 penalty corners on the afternoon while conceding just two.
• Borensztein and Santi finished the day with two goals and four points apiece, while Ghigliotti netted a goal and an assist for three points.
• The win locked up a share of the Atlantic 10 regular season crown for the Hawks, their seventh in eight seasons. A win over La Salle next Friday would seal an unbeaten conference season, the outright title, and the top seed in the Atlantic 10 Championship.
UP NEXT
Sunday is Senior Day as the Hawks host Temple. Game time is set for noon, with the annual Senior Day ceremony to be held prior to the contest.
