Box Score THE BASICS
-Score: Assumption University 3, Adelphi University 2
-Records: Assumption (20-1, NE10 10-1), Adelphi (14-6, NE10 10-3)
-Location: Worcester, Mass. (Brian Kelly '83 Stadium)
-The Lead: The Assumption University field hockey team captured the program's first Northeast-10 Conference Championship title with a 3-2 final over the Panthers of Adelphi University at home on Saturday afternoon. The game was a battle on both ends of the field with the Greyhounds coming out on top. Jenna Graf (Ballston Lake, N.Y. / Shenendehowa), Mia Salah (Gloucester, Mass. / Gloucester) and Kylie Gargiulo (Madison, Conn. / Daniel Hand) earned spots on the NE10 All-Championship team. They were joined by Adelphi's Alexandra Docyk and Danielle Kempf, Mia Radici from Pace and Keira Integlia from New Haven. Gargiulo earned the Championship's Most Outstanding Player Award.
HOW IT HAPPENED
-After over 14 minutes of scoreless play the Greyhounds got on the board with 50 seconds to go in the first quarter. They were awarded their sixth corner of the first quarter and senior Summer Walsh (South Yarmouth, Mass. / Dennis-Yarmouth Regional) inserted the ball to junior Christina Leonard (Marlborough, Mass. / Marlborough) who sent it back to Walsh on the left. Walsh passed the ball across the circle to Graf who lifted it to the back of the net for the 1-0 lead.
-Just over one minute into the second quarter the Greyhounds used another corner play to pull ahead 2-0. Salah picked up a rebound off the pads of Adelphi goalkeeper, Amanda Montiel, and back handed it in for the 2-0 advantage.
-Adelphi cut Assumption's lead in half responding with a goal of their own just one minute later. Gargiulo made the initial save on a shot by Jackie Brown, but Docyk picked up the rebound on the left post and buried it to bring Adelphi within one, 2-1.
-Adelphi almost tied the game with 6:15 to go in the second quarter. The ball got through the Assumption defense to Emily Reichenback, but Gargiulo came out of the net and made a huge diving stop to keep the 2-1 edge heading into the halftime break.
-With 8:12 on the clock in the third quarter Assumption extended their lead back to two with another goal by Salah. Deirdre Burchill (Braintree, Mass. / Braintree) collected the ball on the top left of the corner and pushed it into Salah who was posted up in front of Montiel on the left post. Salah got a hold of the ball on her backhand and pushed it behind Montiel for the 3-1 lead.
-The Panthers put the pressure on with three penalty corners all under the 10-minute mark in the final quarter. Adelphi capitalized on the first corner when Brown netted a backhanded chip shot to bring them within one, 3-2, with seven minutes to go.
-Adelphi put up four shots over the final six minutes, but Gargiulo made all four stops to preserve the 3-2 victory and Northeast-10 Conference Championship title.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
-Assumption edged Adelphi in total shots 15-14. The Panthers put 12 shots on goal while the Greyhounds put 10 on goal.
-Gargiulo made a game-changing 10 saves in net for Assumption and improves to 20-1 on the season.
-Montiel made seven stops in goal for Adelphi and falls to 11-6.
-The Greyhounds were awarded 10 penalty corners while Adelphi was awarded nine.
UP NEXT
-No. 3 Assumption looks forward to the NCAA selection show set for Monday, November 8th at 3:00 p.m.
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