Athletics

Back-to-Back: #11 Field Hockey Stifles #21 UMass, 3-0, for Second Consecutive Atlantic 10 Title

Saint Joseph's field hockey team claimed their sixth A-10 championship title.

Saint Joseph's field hockey team poses after they win the A-10 championship

Thom Kendall / Atlantic 10

When the stakes were the highest, the Hawks soared to the top and left absolutely no doubt that they are the class of the Atlantic 10.

The 11th-ranked Saint Joseph's field hockey team turned in its most dominant performance of the season on Saturday, holding #21 UMass without a shot en route to a 3-0 win in the Atlantic 10 championship game at the Gladchuk Field Hockey Complex.

HOW IT HAPPENED

  • In utterly dominant fashion, that's how. Despite not finding the cage, the Hawks spent most of the first quarter in the offensive zone, ripping off four shots.
  • Saint Joseph's (15-4) broke through in the second, as a corner sequence led to a rebound that Sol Borensztein put home for the opening goal.
  • Shortly after halftime, the Hawks doubled the lead on another corner. Lily Santi inserted and then received a pass from Freke van Tilburg that she slotted past UMass' Myrte van Herwijnen for a 2-0 advantage.
  • It was van Tilburg herself that iced the game with 10 minutes to go in the fourth, converting on yet another penalty corner to give the Hawks a 3-0 lead.
  • UMass (15-5) would have a chance late to get on the board, but the Hawk defense smothered any opportunities before they could turn into threats.

BEHIND THE BOX SCORE

  • The Hawks held an overwhelming 18-0 advantage in shots on Saturday, marking the second time this season that SJU has held a team without an attempt (vs. Lock Haven, September 23). In two games between Saint Joseph's and UMass this season, the Hawks outshot the Minutewomen, 32-1.
  • The shutout was the 11th of the season for the Hawks, setting a new program record. SJU shut out 10 opponents in both 2018 and 2021.
  • Van Herwijnen made five saves in defeat for UMass, while Robin Bleekemolen was not called on to make a stop in the game.
  • Five Hawks were named to the All-Championship Team, as Borensztein, Santi, and van Tilburg were joined by Katy Benton and Leigh James. Santi was named the Most Outstanding Player after finishing the tournament with a goal and two assists.
  • The title is the sixth overall and fifth in six seasons for Saint Joseph's. The Hawks are third in A-10 history with six championships, ranking behind UMass (16) and Richmond (eight).
  • SJU will make its fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in program history next week.

UP NEXT

The 11th-ranked Saint Joseph's field hockey team will take on #8 Wake Forest in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, in the First Round of the 2022 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship on Friday afternoon. Learn more.

 

 

This news article originally appeared on sjuhawks.com.