Bay Path Concludes it's 2010 Season
#1 Daniel Webster and #2 Becker Advance to the 2010 NECC Field Hockey Championship Match
2010 NECC FIELD HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE
Semifinals – Wednesday, November 3
#4 Bay Path (3-9, 2-6) at #1 Daniel Webster (10-4, 7-1), DWC 5 BPC 0
#3 Wheelock (7-8, 5-3) at #2 Becker (8-11, 6-2), BC 3 WC 2
Championship Match - Saturday, November 6
#2 Becker (9-11) at #1 Daniel Webster (11-4), 1:00 p.m. (Nashua, N.H.)
#1 Daniel Webster 5 #4 Bay Path 0
BOX SCORE http://athletics.dwc.edu/sports/fh/2010-11/boxscores/20101103_9dlq.xml
PROGRAM
NASHUA, NH – Junior Natalie Bates (N. Kingstown, R.I.) and freshman Sierra Ackerman (Soldotna, Alaska) scored two goals and an assist each to lead top-seeded Daniel Webster College to a 5-0 victory over fourth-seeded Bay Path College Wednesday in a New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) semifinal clash at Harvey Woods Field.
The Eagles (11-4), who won their first postseason game in this their third varsity season, advance to the NECC Championship and will host second-seeded Becker College on Saturday at 1:00. Becker stormed back from a 2-0 halftime deficit to tip Wheelock, 3-2 in Wednesday's second semifinal.
DWC controlled the contest throughout, racking up a 23-2 total shots advantage (20-2 on goal) and drew 15 penalty corners to Bay Path's six.
Ackerman scored the Eagles' first goal 23 minutes into play on a rebound of a shot that was saved by Wildcats senior goalkeeper Kim Barbato (Saylorsburg, Penn.) and the Eagles took a 1-0 lead into the break.
Bates upped the lead to 2-0 just over a minute into the second, splitting the defense and beating Barbato to the low right side and the Eagles took control by potting three strikes within the span of 10 minutes later in the half to ice it.
Barbato shone for the Wildcats (3-10) with 15 saves. Bay Path was making its first postseason appearance in their third varsity season.
Amy Prince (Hope Valley, R.I.) recorded two saves for the Eagles.
Ackerman would make it 3-0 at the 50:51 mark off a Brandi Ritz (Burlington, N.J.) tipped pass and rookie Courtney Brennan (Beverly, Mass.) notched the fourth goal off a Bates penalty corner feed with 10:25 remaining.
Bates would close it out knocking home an Ackerman feed 1:04 later.
#2 Becker 3 #3 Wheelock 2
BOX SCORE http://www.beckerhawks.com/sports/fh/2010-11/files/bcfh20.htm
PROGRAM
LEICESTER, Mass.- #2 seed Becker College overcame a two goal deficit to defeat #3 Wheelock College 3-2, to advance to the New England Collegiate Conference field hockey finals for the third consecutive season.
Wheelock got on the board in the 10th minute when Milbrey Hendrix (Kennett Square, Penn.) rebounded a shot from Despina Savvoulides (Norwalk, Conn.), tipping it out of the air, into the back of the net. The Wildcats increased their lead to 2-0 when Chelsey Ballard (Mansfield, Mass.) scored from 20 yards out.
Becker began their rally just 1:18 into the second half when freshman Michelle Griczika (Barre, Mass.) fed Brooke Cote (Fitchburg, Mass.) on a centering pass, cutting the Wheelock lead in half.
The score remained 2-1 until the 59th minute when Cote scored an unassisted goal, tying the game at two all. Just when it looked like the two teams were heading into overtime for the second postseason game in a row, Griczika scored with 00:38 remaining on the clock on a feed from Victoria Sirchia (Goshen, Conn.), sending the Lady Hawks into the NECC championship.
Wheelock goalkeeper Meredith Race (Marion, Mass.) was outstanding in net for the Wildcats, facing 15 Becker shots in the second half. Race finished the game with 12 saves as the Wildcats season came to an end with a 7-9 record overall.
Becker goalkeeper Nakita Gosselin (Springfield, VT.) made two saves as the Hawks improve to 9-11 on the season. Becker will travel to Daniel Webster College on Saturday for the NECC championship beginning at 1pm.
Stories Courtesy of Daniel Webster and Becker Sports Information/Information Courtesy of NECC
