Saint Joseph's University

RICHMOND, Va. – The Saint Joseph's field hockey team locked up the top seed in the Atlantic 10 Championship on Friday by outlasting VCU for a 1-0 shootout victory at Cary Street Field.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• The first quarter was a bit of a back-and-forth affair, but Saint Joseph's (8-8 overall, 5-0 Atlantic 10) ramped up the pressure in the second.  Neither team found the back of the cage, but the Hawks held a 6-1 advantage in shots for the half.
 
• Both teams put a pair of shots on the board in the third quarter, but none found the goal.  The Hawks once again imposed their will on the Rams in the fourth, holding them without a shot, but could not find a winner in regulation.
 
• VCU (8-8 overall, 4-1 Atlantic 10) fended off a 10-minute yellow card stretching across the end of the fourth quarter and the start of overtime; the Hawks notched all five shots in the extra frame but the contest would eventually be settled via shootout.
 
• Alison Buffington, Lily DeWan, and Erika Culp converted the first three shootout chances for the Hawks.  Avianna Wagner made the stop on VCU's first attempt before the second was fired wide; she then held firm to deny the third and give the Hawks the win.
 
BEHIND THE BOX SCORE
• Wagner made two saves during the game, while Emma Clements made 13 saves during regulation and overtime.  Tatum Anderson was between the pipes for the Rams during the shootout.
 
• The Hawks outshot the Rams 16-3 for the day, holding the hosts without an attempt over the final 31 minutes of play.
 
• Saint Joseph's had five penalty corner opportunities, including four in overtime, while not conceding a single defensive corner on the day.
 
• With the win, the Hawks clinched a share of the Atlantic 10 regular season title, their first since 2023.  Regardless of future results, Saint Joseph's will be the top seed in the Atlantic 10 Championships by virtue of its victories over both Richmond and VCU.
 
UP NEXT
The Hawks visit #8 Princeton on Sunday at noon.