HAMDEN, Conn. – Senior Amanda Schoenfeld (West Sayville, N.Y./Connetquot) registered a career-best six points on two goals and two assists, while classmate Trish O'Dwyer (Dublin, Ireland/Loreto Beaufort) posted her 11th career multi-goal game, including caging the game-winner 4:34 into the overtime period, to fuel the Monmouth University field hockey team's come-from-behind 4-3 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference victory at Quinnipiac on Sunday afternoon. With the victory, the Blue and White improves to 9-7 on the season and 2-1 in league play, while the Bobcats slip to 6-10 overall and 2-2 in conference action following their second-straight overtime loss.
After rallying from two goals down with 25 minutes left in regulation to force overtime, Schoenfeld sent a centering pass in transition to O'Dwyer who found the back of the cage for the 12th time this season, good for her sixth career game-winning goal.
"We showed resilience and a lot of character this afternoon," commented head coach Carli Figlio. "We had some upperclassmen really step up in a big way and I am very proud of who we are becoming as a team."
Quinnipiac's Gemma Cirera scored the game's first goal in the 15th minute, deflecting in a Danielle Allan's shot off a corner play. The Bobcats inflated their lead less than 10 minutes later on Lea Dietrichs' marker, but Schoenfeld answered 1:11 later on an unassisted tally to bring the Hawks within one.
Following the halftime break, Allen's goal 10 minutes into the second half reestablished QU's two-goal lead, but it was all Hawks in the final 25 minutes of regulation.
Following a shot from O'Dwyer that was pushed aside by Quinnipiac's goalkeeper Megan Conaboy, Schoenfeld hammered home the rebound for her second career multi-goal game and her ninth goal of
the season, a new career-best, to bring the Hawks within one with 21 minutes remaining. The Hawks registered the equalizer in the 61st minute on O'Dywer's backhanded shot from the top of the circle that found netting and sent the game into overtime.
O'Dwyer led the team with seven shot attempts, five of which being on cage, while all five of Schoenfeld's attempts were on target. Freshman Maartje Wicherink (Hilversum, Netherlands/Gemeetelijk Gymnasium Hilversum) and sophomore Casey Hanna (Seaville, N.J./Ocean City) each attempted a pair of shots.
Christen Piersanti (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) registered six saves, including one in the overtime period, to earn her eighth win of the year for the Blue and White. Conaboy recorded 11 saves in the Bobcat's setback.
For the game, Monmouth outshot Quinnipiac, 19-13, while the Bobcats edged the Hawks in penalty corner opportunities, 5-4.
The Hawks return home for the final two league games of the season next weekend. MU welcomes in Siena on Friday, October 31st, before closing out the regular season with a tilt with Bryant on Sunday, November 2nd. Both games will have special pregame ceremonies with the field hockey program honoring its Monmouth Hall of Fame inductee, Kelly Monahan-Pearson, on Friday and its senior class on Sunday afternoon.
-@MonmouthFH-
