Field Hockey Advances to ECAC Championship Game

2010 ECAC Division III New England Field Hockey Tournament Bracket

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Junior midfielder Stephanie Lannon (Swampscott, Mass.) tallied the game-winning goal with 6:48 remaining in the second half to lead the Bridgewater State field hockey team to a 4-3 comeback win over New England College in the semifinal round of the 2010 ECAC Division III New England Field Hockey Tournament on Saturday afternoon in Bridgewater.

With the victory, the top-seeded Bears (12-8) advance to the tournament championship game for the second time in the past four years.  Bridgewater will take on third-seeded Plymouth State University on Sunday at noon.  Plymouth State knocked off number two Endicott College, 4-1, in the other semifinal match.  New England College, the tournaments number four seed, ends the season with a record of 12-11.

Trailing 3-2 at the intermission, senior forward Bethany Bush (Littleton, Mass.) tied the game up at three just over four minutes into the second half with her team-leading 21st goal of the season.  Off a long pass from Lannon to the front of the net, Bush moved the ball to her backhand and slid a shot past the NEC goalkeeper.

The game remained deadlocked until the 64th minute when Lannon stick-handled to the top of the circle and ripped a shot from 14-yards inside the left post to give the Bears the 4-3 lead.

New England College started the scoring six minutes into the game.  Senior forward Marisa Ayotte (Feeding Hills, Mass.) received a pass from sophomore midfielder Alicia Bartosik (Hoosik Falls, N.Y.) in the middle of the circle, turned and fired a shot into the back of the net for her 25th goal of the season.

That lead was short-lived however, as Bridgewater senior forward Nicole Henrique (Swansea, Mass.) converted a cross from sophomore midfielder Shelby Farland (Fiskdale, Mass.), tucking a shot inside the left post to tie the game at 1-1.

NEC answered in the 15th minute of play as senior forward Samantha Escobar (Rumney, N.H.) scored her first of two goals on the afternoon.  After stealing the ball from a Bridgewater defender, Escobar went in uncontested on goal, stick-handled around the BSU keeper and sent a shot into the open net.

Farland knotted the score up at two with eight minutes to go in the opening stanza off a nice pass to the front of the goal from Bush.  With the assist, Bush became the Bears' all-time leader as she now has 25 helpers in her career.  Ann Silvia registered 24 assists from 1996 to 1999.

Right before halftime the Pilgrim's were able to take the lead off a penalty corner. Escobar received a pass in the middle of the circle from junior midfielder Amanda Naimie (York, Maine), turned and put it past the BSU keeper.

Senior goaltender Katie Weber (Arlington, Mass.) turned aside six shots in goal for the Bears.  Three of those six saves came during a 3 ½ minute stretch of the second half right after Bush had tied the score at 3-3.  Freshman Melissa Mower (Bangor, Maine) made 11 stops for the visiting Pilgrims who were outshot in the game, 17-13.

Bridgewater and Plymouth will be meeting for the third time this season, with all three games taking place at Swenson Field.  The Bears defeated the Panthers, 3-1, in the season finale, and then posted a 2-1 overtime victory in the Little East Tournament semifinals.

In 2007, Bridgewater captured the ECAC Division III New England Tournament championship with a 1-0 victory over Saint Joseph's College in the finals.