University of Richmond
$vs. Sacred Heart
No. 19 Field Hockey Powers Past Sacred Heart To Earn Automatic Bid In NCAA Championships
11/08/2005 | Field Hockey
Nov. 8, 2005
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Four first-half goals and two multi-goal games helped extend the 19th-ranked Richmond field hockey squad's 11-game win streak and earn its fourth-straight berth in NCAA Championships. Junior Heather Wrublesky and sophomore Shannon Taylor each chipped in two goals as the Spiders toppled Sacred Heart, 7-2, Tuesday at Crenshaw Field. The Spiders improved to 16-5 overall, while Sacred Heart ended its season with an 11-10 mark.
The Spiders put themselves in front just 3:48 into the game when senior Colleen Wevodau took an unassisted shot from the top right inside the circle for her second goal of the season. Richmond's second goal came off corner, as senior Allie Howard touched a ball blasted from sophomore Erin Arthur. Senior Michelle La Force was also in on the conversion. The Spiders finished the day with four goals off corner, after earning a total of 16 penalty corners.
Three minutes after Howard's score, Sacred Heart got on the board when Carisa Eye redirected a shot from Nicole Falco past the Spiders' senior Michelle Swartz. Wrublesky and Taylor answered with two more for Richmond by halftime, making the score 4-1. Wrublesky's came off a rebound from corner, and Taylor's was a blast from just inside the circle.
Richmond outshot the Pioneers 19-4 in the first half, while SHU's Ashley Del Greco was forced to turn away 11 in the first 35 minutes. Swartz stopped two the entire game, both coming in the first half.
Just over a minute and a half into the second half, Wrublesky scored her second of the game by touching a shot from Arthur off corner. Wrublesky has now scored in each of the last three and had multi-goal games in two of the last three.
Eye answered again for Sacred Heart, this time in the 49th minute, when she gathered a loose ball in front of the net for her second of the game. Taylor got her second of the game at the 56:21 mark on another corner. La Force and senior Lesley Russell provided the assists on the play. Taylor has now garnered multiple goals in each of the last two and scored points in each of the last four.
The Spiders put the finishing touches on the victory in the 68th minute when sophomore Tara Kelly came off the bench to score. Kelly grabbed a rebound off a shot from Taylor inside a penalty corner play.
Richmond will now wait to find out their fate in the NCAA Tournament's 16-team field. College Sports Television will exclusively present the NCAA Championship field as part of the NCAA Field Hockey Championships Selection Show at 7:45 p.m., Tuesday evening.
