University of Richmond
Saint Joseph's
No. 16 Spiders Win Fifth-Straight Atlantic 10 Field Hockey Championship
11/04/2006 | Field Hockey
Nov. 4, 2006
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Freshman Lindsey Conrad scored twice and senior Heather Wrublesky scored the game-winning goal as the No. 16 ranked Richmond field hockey team defeated Saint Joseph's 3-2 to win its fifth-straight Atlantic 10 Championship.
The Spiders lost eight seniors who had been part of the first four Atlantic 10 Championships, but that did not stop Richmond from extending its streak of titles to five and its streak of wins over Atlantic 10 competition to 42-straight with the win Saturday.
"This team deserves a lot of credit for stepping up," said Richmond head coach Ange Bradley, who has guided to the Spiders to all five Atlantic 10 titles. "They honored their past and inherited their future. The word for them this year was shine and they showed they could that. They were so overshadowed by last year's large senior class, but this was their moment. They believed in themselves and I'm so proud of them."
The Spiders, who improved to 16-4 on the season with a 10-game winning streak, will play NEC Champion Lock Haven in a NCAA play-in game on Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Crenshaw Field.
Conrad broke a 1-1 tie with her second goal of the game with 27:71 to play and Wrublesky deflected a shot by junior Erin Arthur into the back of the cage for a 3-1 lead with 14:35 remaining. Saint Joseph's Marisa Pizzi scored with 22 seconds left to cut the gap to 3-2, but the Spiders held on for their fifth-straight conference title.
Wrublesky was named the Championship's Most Outstanding Player after scoring the game-tying goal in the final minute against Temple on Friday and netting the game winner on Saturday, along with recording an assist on one of Conrad's goals.
"This was a completely new team this year," said Wrublesky who, along with fellow senior Jodi Murphy, wins her fourth A-10 title. "We never had to work harder, but that's what makes it feel even better."
Heather Wrublesky scored the game-winning goal Saturday and was named the Championship's Most Outstanding Player.  |
|
Richmond was coming off a thrilling 2-1 overtime victory over Temple on Friday in which Wrublesky tied the game with a goal in the final minute and junior Shannon Taylor scored the game-winner in overtime. The Spiders were not able to carry the momentum over to the first half Saturday as Saint Joseph's put the pressure on Richmond from the start, taking the first six shots of the game. Two diving saves by Richmond goalkeeper Becca Weaver kept the Hawks off the scoreboard and then Conrad gave the Spiders a 1-0 lead 16:19 into the game, deflecting a cross by Wrublesky.
The Hawks (11-10) were quick to respond with an unassisted goal just four minutes later by Anne Schreuders, who carried the ball in from the top of the circle and got off a shot from 10 yards in front of the goal.
The score remained tied until Taylor blasted a shot that Saint Joseph's keeper Rebecca Cunfer saved, but Conrad was there to put in the rebound for her second goal of the season and 19th of the season. Thirteen minutes later the Spiders had a penalty corner and Arthur ripped a shot from the left side that Wrublesky deflected into the goal.
Saint Joseph's made it interesting with a goal with 22 seconds left by Marissa Pizza on an assist from Lauren Luft, but Richmond was able to run out the clock for their 42nd-straight victory against Atlantic 10 competition.
Despite being out-shot 6-0 in the early-going, the Spiders finished with a 19-11 advantage on shots for the game. Weaver made four saves in goal for Richmond, while Cunfer made eight saves for Saint Joseph's.
Wrublesky, Murphy, Conrad, Taylor and junior Ines Reimundes were all selected to the All-Championship Team.
