MERION STATION, Pa. – The fourth-ranked Saint Joseph's field hockey team moved on to the Atlantic 10 championship game with a 6-1 rout of third-seeded Richmond at Ellen Ryan Field on Thursday afternoon.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• The second-seeded Hawks got down to business right away as Manu Ghigliotti deflected a ball from Lily Santi into the Spiders' cage for a 1-0 lead after just five minutes.
 
• Saint Joseph's (16-3) doubled its lead less than three minutes later on a penalty corner; Celeste Smits inserted the ball before drifting to the post and slamming home a rebound to make it a 2-0 game midway through the first quarter.
 
• Ghigliotti netted her second of the day with a dazzling individual effort four minutes into the second quarter, cutting to her left before firing high over the goalkeeper to give the Hawks a 3-0 lead heading into halftime.
 
• Midway through the third quarter, Julia Duffhuis had a shot blocked; not to be deterred, she picked up her own rebound and rifled it into the cage from the top of the circle for a 4-0 lead.
 
• Alison Buffington got into the act early in the fourth, diving after a loose ball and scooping it high into the cage with 11:38 to go.
 
• Yfke Walter closed out the scoring for the Hawks four minutes later, picking up a loose ball and sliding it home at the far post.
 
• Richmond (11-8) set the final margin as Valen Luna Paratore netted a consolation goal on a corner with just over five minutes remaining.
 
BEHIND THE BOX SCORE
• The Hawks outshot the Spiders 18-2 on Thursday; across two games with Richmond this season, the Hawks held a 40-2 advantage in shots.
 
• SJU also led in penalty corner opportunities, 6-2; the Hawks converted on two of those chances.
 
• Marith Bijkerk made one save on the day for the Hawks, while Kristen Rake received the start in the cage for the Spiders and made five saves; Thea Conomikes surrended a goal without a save in nine minutes of relief.
 
• The win gives the Hawks their ninth consecutive berth in the Atlantic 10 championship game, extending the league record set in 2023.
 
UP NEXT
Saint Joseph's will meet top seed and 15^th-ranked UMass in the title game on Saturday at noon; the Minutewomen dominated fourth-seeded VCU, 4-0, earlier Thursday.