The AU field hockey team advanced to the Patriot League Championship, while the women’s soccer team fell in the semifinals as conference tournaments got underway Nov. 2.
Field hockey
Behind the stellar play of Shelly Montgomery and an outstanding defensive performance, AU defeated Bucknell, 4-0, to advance to the conference finals.
The Eagles will now meet top-seeded Lafayette in the championship Nov. 3, as the Leopards defeated Colgate, 4-3, in the other semifinal.
The Leopards, who are ranked 12th in the country, defeated AU, 4-1, Sept. 29 at Jacobs Field. Saturday’s championship will be played in Easton, Pa., with Lafayette looking to repeat as tournament champions.
AU (10-9, 4-1 PL) has been great this season when they score first, when Montgomery scores and when they play terrific defense. All three things occurred in AU’s semifinal match, and the Eagles led in nearly every statistical category en route to notching the shutout victory over the Bison (9-10, 3-2 PL).
Montgomery’s team-leading 16th goal gave AU the early lead and was a bad sign for Bucknell, as the Eagles entered play 7-2 when they score first.
Isabel Terwindt and Gina Hofmann recorded second-half scores, and Montgomery added another one late for the 4-0 final.
The defense was dominant, and Ashley Dalisera made all three saves in goal in the win.
Women’s soccer
Things didn’t go so well for the women’s soccer squad, as Colgate earned a 3-0 victory over the Eagles in Annapolis, Md., to end the team’s season.
Colgate (10-5-4, 4-1-2 PL) dominated play all afternoon, holding significant advantages in both shots (17-7) and corner kicks (13-2).
Catherine Williams put the Raiders on the board with her 27th-mintue goal, and Colgate took that 1-0 advantage over the Eagles (6-10-3, 4-2-1 PL) into halftime.
Caroline Brawner and Jillian Kinter each scored within seven minutes of each other midway through the second half to secure the victory for the Raiders and send them into the championship.
Making its first appearance in the PL Tournament since 2009, the Eagles only managed three shots on goal for the afternoon.
Colgate will face Navy Nov. 4 for the title, as the Midshipmen defeated Lehigh, 4-1, in the second semifinal.
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