ANN ARBOR, Mich. — All week, St. Joe’s field hockey has posed the question, “Why not us?” and has carried that mindset into its final four matchup with #1 University of North Carolina Nov. 22 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
With a 2-1 victory over the reigning champions, the Hawks proved exactly why they should not be underestimated as they advanced to the national championship for the first time in program history. It is also the first time in all of St. Joe’s athletics that a team has reached an NCAA Championship game.
“I think we really wanted to win the game,” said fifth-year forward Manu Ghigliotti. “We went battle by battle, and it was a fight, but I’m really, really proud of everyone here.”
Going “battle by battle,” St. Joe’s ended the first quarter scoreless before Ghigliotti put the Hawks on the board about halfway through the second quarter. Six minutes into the third quarter, Ghigliotti did it again, putting St. Joe’s up by two.
Following the first quarter, head coach Hannah Prince said her message to her team was to continue doing what they were doing, keeping their contagious energy going.
“It was just about making sure we’re playing as united as ever,” Prince said. “I felt great after the first quarter. I felt great after every quarter, really, and that’s because of the hard work these guys put in.”
The previously undefeated Tar Heels, who didn’t trail in a game all season, let alone by two goals, responded with a corner from sophomore forward Charly Bruder with under 10 seconds left in the third quarter.
Still, the Hawks held on to their one-goal lead, largely thanks to senior goalie Marith Bijerk, who had nine saves for St. Joe’s.
“She really stood on her head today,” Prince said. “We didn’t play perfect defense. We’re never going to, but she really had our teams back today.”
Imperfect defense or not, the Hawks were still able to hold the reigning champions to just one goal while besting one of the top defenses in the country.
“I knew that our group was talented enough to create outcomes. We really were focused on some adjustments from last week, just with our counterattack and really focusing on taking care of the ball, and, obviously, that paid off for us today,” Prince said. “We didn’t always put it away on every counterattack, but we had a different element and presence to us with taking care of the ball, making sure we’re going with quality numbers.”
Next, St. Joe’s prepares to take on #2 Northwestern University in the championship game Nov. 24 in Ann Arbor. The Hawks and the Wildcats have only met once, in 2009, with Northwestern coming out on top. But St. Joe’s, also a top-ranked team all season, finishing third in the final poll of the season, is ready for another top-seed matchup as they continue to ask the question, “Why not us?”
“I said to the girls in pregame, ‘You have to believe it with every ounce of your being,’” Prince said. “‘That doubt, you gotta push it aside. If there is any nerves, it’s natural.’ We learned at the banquet [Nov. 21], it means you care, and that’s a good thing. And I know our girls care deeply, and they’re ready to go for Sunday.”
