Field hockey clinches Atlantic 10 regular season title
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”6″ gal_title=”Field hockey vs. UMass”]
The Saint Joseph’s University field hockey team (13-5, 7-0 A-10) faced off against the University of Massachusetts Minutewomen (10-7, 5-2 A-10) on Friday, Oct. 21. This game clinched the Atlantic 10 regular season title for the Hawks.
The game opened with a goal from senior Kerri Turk before the Minutewomen scored two consecutive goals. Turk scored again just prior to the close of the first half.
The game remained tied at two goals apiece after a scoreless second half. Six minutes into the overtime period, freshman Pepa Serrano scored on a penalty corner to win both the game and the regular season conference title for the Hawks.
“A win is important and celebration is huge,” said Head Coach Lynn Farquhar. “We share a passion. That’s why we do what we do, so we celebrated until midnight and the next day we started again. Saturday we came out to prep for Hofstra. So day-by-day again.”
The Hawks finished the weekend with a 5-3 non-conference win against the Hofstra University Pride (9-8) on Sunday, Oct. 23. Sophomore Anna Willocks opened the scoring with a goal off a penalty corner to give St. Joe’s an early lead. The Pride, however, managed to score the game’s next two goals, both off corners to give them a lead until Willocks tied the game with another goal just before the end of the half.
Senior Claudia Marin Samper scored her second goal of the game for Hofstra in the second half, but the Hawks were quick to strike back. Within the next minute and a half of play, junior Jackalyn Pauling and Serrano each scored to give St. Joe’s a 4-3 lead. Later in the game, Serrano would score again on a penalty stroke to ensure the victory.
“I think it demonstrates a team that has a lot of character, to be able to bounce back,” Farquhar said. “And that’s tough in any sport. Hofstra came out with a bang and they were challenging, so credit to our group for [coming back].”
Farquhar also noted that there were no halftime adjustments made. Instead, the team just had to refocus.
Serrano observed a drastic change in the Hawks’ caliber of play between the first and second half and credited the refocusing.
“We were not focused like we had to be, so we changed our [mindset],” Serrano said.
Sunday’s game was also Senior Day for St. Joe’s. Prior to the game, seniors Katja Hansen, Kerri Turk, Emily Nonnemacher, Melanie Colozzi and Amelia Deibler were acknowledged and honored.
“I think Senior Day is about spirit and having pride in what you do,” Farquhar said. “Our five seniors have come a long way and they’re why we are here today, so to recognize them is great. I think their ability to help us refocus at halftime is why they are in our leadership group.”
St. Joe’s will travel to North Carolina to play Davidson College in their final game of the regular season on Saturday, Oct. 29 at 11:30 a.m. A win would complete the first undefeated A-10 season for the Hawks since 1995, when they went 4-0 in conference play. This was the last time the Hawks won the regular season A-10 title.
St. Joe’s will play as the No. 1 seed in the A-10 postseason, which begins Friday, Nov. 4 at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Cary Street Field.
