University of Richmond Athletics
University of Richmond
Saint Joseph's
Field Hockey Clinches Atlantic 10 Regular-Season Title With 4-1 Win At Saint Jospeh's
10/30/2009 | Field Hockey
Oct. 30, 2009
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Senior Sarah Blythe-Wood scored two goals as the Richmond field hockey team defeated Saint Joseph's 4-1 Friday to clinch the 2009 Atlantic 10 Regular-Season Championship.
The Spiders improved to 5-0 in Atlantic 10 play, while dropping Saint Joseph's to 3-2 in league play. With one regular season game remaining at Temple on Sunday, Richmond clinched its sixth Atlantic 10 regular-Season title in the last eight years and first under coach Gina Lucido.
The Spiders, who have won five straight games and seven of the last eight, entered Friday's game having held its previous four Atlantic 10 opponents scoreless. Saint Joseph's needed just 4:34 to break that streak, but that would be the Hawks only goal on the afternoon.
Blythe-Wood scored her first goal of the game off a rebound to tie the game with 13:33 left in the first half.
Blythe-Wood scored struck again 5:58 into the second half and that proved to be the game winner, coming on an assist from senior Jess Weidner. Blythe-Wood leads the Atlantic 10 with 18 goals, which is tied for seventh on Richmond's all-time single-season list.
Senior Megan Thompson made it 3-1 less than four minutes later on a breakaway and Blythe-Wood assisted on sophomore Katelin Peterson's goal with 21:00 remaining.
"We weathered a feisty St. Joe's squad after being scored upon first and having to battle physical play throughout match," Lucido said. "The forward trio of Sarah Blythe-Wood proved why they are a lethal combination as all three took part in our scoring effort."
With five points in the game, Blythe-Wood moved into fifth on Richmond's single-season list for points with 45. She also moved into seventh on Richmond's all-time career list with 81 points, while Thompson is in eighth with 79 points. Blythe-Wood is seventh on Richmond's all-time career goals list with 32 and Thompson is right behind her with 31.
With her assist on Blythe-Wood's second goal, Weidner moved into sole possession of fourth on Richmond's all-time career list for assists with her 24th.
Richmond goalkeeper Jacki Raithel made three saves and has allowed just one goal in five conference games.
"Jackie Raithel made some big saves keeping the Hawks from gaining momentum in their scrappy circle play," Lucido said. "Jess Weidner combined to stop the Hawks in building up their play and generated some great attacking opportunities from their solid defense."
The Spiders have out-scored their five Atlantic 10 opponents 23-1 and have now won 59 of the last 64 games against Atlantic 10 competition.
Richmond improved to 11-7 overall and wraps up the regular season on Sunday at Temple. The Spiders already have the top seed in the Atlantic 10 Tournament clinched. The A-10 Tournament opens next Friday at UMass.
