INDIANAPOLIS – After claiming the program's record-tying sixth consecutive Atlantic 10 championship on Saturday afternoon, the Saint Joseph's field hockey team will meet Vermont in the Opening Round of the NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship on Wednesday.
 
The game is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. Eastern at Lakeside Field in Evanston, Illinois.  The winner will move on to face overall top seed Northwestern on Friday.
 
Saint Joseph's (11-9) punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth year in a row and the ninth time in program history with a 2-1 shootout win over Richmond in the Atlantic 10 championship game on Saturday at VCU's Cary Street Field.  Erika Culp tied the game at 1-1 early in the second quarter before the Hawk defense held the Spiders without a shot in the second half.  After both teams had chances in overtime, the game went to a shootout; in the eighth round, Culp found the back of the cage while Atlantic 10 Tournament Most Outstanding Player Avianna Wagner stuffed Richmond's Maura Seeger to secure the crown for the Hawks.
 
The win gave the Hawks their sixth consecutive Atlantic 10 title, matching UMass (1996-01) for the longest string of consecutive championships in league history.  Saint Joseph's streak of 11 consecutive championship game appearances is tied with Miami (Ohio) for the longest active streak in Division I.
 
Vermont (14-5) clinched its tournament berth with a 3-2 shootout victory at Albany on Friday.  The Catamounts, seeded fifth in the America East tournament, won three road games to secure their spot in the NCAA Tournament.  Saint Joseph's and Vermont have never met on the field hockey pitch.
 
A total of five teams in this year's bracket were on the Hawks' schedule this season; the Hawks met Maryland, UConn, Princeton, Duke, and North Carolina.
 
Opening round games will be held Wednesday before the First and Second Rounds take place on Friday and Sunday, respectively, at campus sites.  The Final Four is set for November 20 and 22 on the campus of the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky.