EMMITSBURG, Md.- Monmouth University's women's lacrosse team advanced to the 2007 Northeast Conference Championship game with a 15-13 win over Sacred Heart on Friday afternoon.
“We are excited to have another shot at the NEC Title on Sunday,” said head coach Kelly McCardell. “Sacred Heart is a good team and they played with us right till the end.”
The Hawks were led by freshman Megan Brennan (King of Prussia, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) who had a career-high five goals and six points in the game. Monmouth led by seven at the half but were outscored 10-5 in the second frame as Sacred Heart almost came back to upset the second-seeded Hawks. The win was Monmouth's 14th of the season, setting a new program record (the Blue & White is now 14-4 overall).
Monmouth got on the board early, winning the opening draw control and going right to the Sacred Heart net, with Megan Nutter (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown) scoring an unassisted goal just 29 seconds into the game. Over the next six minutes, SHU had two quality scoring chances, but each was snuffed out by Monmouth goaltender Monica Johnson (Radnor, Pa./Archbishop Carroll). Ali Pollock (Watervliet, N.Y./Shaker) scored her first postseason goal at the 24:27 mark on a feed from Nutter in front of the Sacred Heart goal. NEC Player of the Year Katie Degen (Glenhead, N.Y./North Shore) tallied her first goal to give Monmouth a 3-0 lead with over 21 minutes left in the first half. After Brennan, the recently named NEC Rookie of the Year, scored another MU goal, Sacred Heart's Amanda Williams broke the scoring drought with a jumping shot that beat Johnson to cut the Hawk lead to three. SHU cut the lead to two on a Liz Ottey score, but MU answered with two straight to regain a four point margin.
With under eight to play, Ashley Waldman (Oceanport, N.J./Shore Regional) scooped up a loose ball and hit a open Degen who took the ball uncontested for half the length of the field before passing it to Brennan, who one-timed it into the SHU net. MU took a 9-0 lead when Nutter beat Pioneer goalie Chelsea Wagner for the second time. The two squads traded goals over the next seven minutes as Monmouth took a 10-3 lead into the break.
Brennan cranked up the scoring in the second half with an unassisted goal 21 seconds into the second half. Degen put the Hawks up by nine (12-3) less than a minute later but Sacred Heart's Brianna Bubeck followed kept the margin to eight with a score at the 28:15 mark. The Pioneers scored their first back-to-back goal of the game three minutes later when Katie Salamone beat Johnson on a pass from Williams. Ottey followed that up with a goal after MU's Degen was sent off with a yellow card, slicing the MU lead to 12-6. The momentum was in full swing in favor of the Pioneers as Maureen Hohn scored SHU's fourth unanswered goal (assisted by Salamone) , prompting a Blue & White timeout.
Monmouth tried to break the scoring streak but Carolyn Raveia's (Woodbridge, Va./W. T. Woodson) free position shot was snuffed out by Pioneer goalie Lauren Stafin, who replaced Wagner in the first period. One minute later Nutter scored her fourth goal of the game to give Monmouth a 13-7 advantage with 16:16 left to play. Ottey scored her third of the game less than 30 seconds after the MU goal, which was followed up by a Bubeck goal and Sacred Heart found themselves down just four goals with half of period to play.
Brennan's fourth goal of the game came at the 13:50 mark, which was the only scoring until Sacred Heart's Mary Montesarchio scored with 7:40 left in the game. Brennan tallied her fifth goal of the game with under six to play, giving Monmouth a 15-10 cushion with time winding down. Sacred Heart would not go away, restoring its deficit to four goals on a Carissa Hauser goal, then cutting the lead to three with Ottey's fourth goal of the contest. MU saw its lead dwindle to two on a Williams free position goal with 1:18
Sacred Heart was led offensively by Ottey, who had four goals and one assist. Montesarchio finished with two goals and four assists for six points on the game, while recording three caused turnovers on defense. Williams had two goals and six draw controls in the game. SHU's two goaltenders combined for 17 saves on the day, with Stafin earning nine in 34 minutes of play. Sacred Heart finishes the season 7-8.
Brennan led all scorers with five goals and six points, both career bests. Nutter finished with four goals and a helper while Degen had a trio of goals and an assist. Raveia contributed one goal and a assist with Waldman and Pollock scoring once each. Defender Kaitlin Robinson (Huntington Station, N.Y./St. Anthony's) had four ground balls and two draw controls while Jessica Piccuito (North Caldwell, N.J./West Essex) finished with three caused turnovers in the game. Johnson finished with 10 saves in the win as MU held a 40-32 advantage in shots
The Hawks will face Mount St. Mary's, who defeated Quinnipiac 13-8 in the first semifinal, in Sunday's Championship game at 1:00 p.m.
