University of Richmond
Ohio
Going Back To The Dance: No. 19 Richmond Overtakes Ohio For Sixth NCAA Berth In Last Eight Years
11/10/2009 | Field Hockey
Nov. 10, 2009
ATHENS, Ohio - Senior Sarah Blythe-Wood scored her 22nd goal of the season in the opening minute of the second half and junior Dani Pycroft scored 10 minutes later as No. 19 ranked Richmond defeated Ohio 2-1 Tuesday to advance to the Spiders' sixth NCAA Tournament.
Ohio scored just 58 seconds into Tuesday's game, but as in Richmond's 2-1 Atlantic 10 semifinal win over UMass on Friday, Richmond came out strong in the second half and controlled play from the start.
"Being socred on in the first 50 seconds was clearly a big blow for our team," Richmond head coach Gina Lucido said. "We were really flat in the first half, but at halftime we were able to take a good hard look at what our season was going to come down to. We made great adjustments, started to play our style and Sarah and Dani had great goals."
Blythe-Wood scored less than a minute into the second half when she took a pass from sophomore Kaitlin Peterson and drilled it into the back of the net from the top of the circle.
Richmond continued to control play in Ohio's end of the field and 11 minutes into the second half Pycroft took a pass from senior Jess Weidner and carried the ball up the middle, into the circle and cracked a reverse stick shot as she was falling to the ground that found the back of the cage.
Ohio scrambled to tie the game, but some key saves by goalkeeper Jacki Raithel (5 saves) and defensive saves by freshman Catherine Ostoich and Weidner kept the Bobcats from scoring.
Then with 15 seconds remaining, Ohio was awarded a penalty corner, but with time expired the Bobcats' shot sailed wide and the Spiders were heading to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in the last eight years. Richmond has won 10 of its last 12 games to improve to 14-8 on the season.
"We're just so blessed and so grateful that everything that we have wished for has happened this season," Blythe-Wood said. "The story couldn't be any sweeter, but obviously if we could work our best in the next week and cause and upset that would be fantastic."
Richmond will find out its opponent and site tonight during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show at 8 p.m.
Blythe-Wood moved into a tie for third on Richmond's single-season goals list with her 22nd of the season. She is also third on the single-season points list with 55, is fifth on the all-time career points list with 91 and is sixth on the all-time goals list with 36.
Blythe-Wood has scored in all three postseason games for the Spiders, while Pycroft has now scored in two of the postseason games and has 11 goals on the season.
