Spiders Fall to Top-Seeded Hawks in A-10 Semifinals

Friday, November 3

Amherst, Mass

11 AM

University of Richmond

(8-11)

#17 Saint Joseph's (A10 Semifinals)

(17-3)

Richmond

Saint Joseph's

11/03/2017 | Field Hockey

Box Score

AMHERST, Mass. -- Tournament time brings out the best in every competitor. Friday's Atlantic 10 semifinal matchup between fourth-seeded Richmond and top-seeded Saint Joseph's was no different. Unfortunately, the Spider hockey team dropped a heartbreaker to the Hawks, 7-2, ending the 2017 campaign.

Freshman Florentine Beelaerts van Blokland lit a spark for the Spiders as she found the back of the cage in the ninth minute to put Richmond ahead, 1-0. The Spiders continued to fire off shots looking to extend their lead. It was senior Katrina Balatgek who put the Spiders ahead, 2-0 off a deflection from the right side.

Saint Joseph's cut the deficit in half when Anna Willocks scored off a corner with eight minutes left in the half. Less than two minutes later, the Hawks evened the score with a penalty stroke sending the game to halftime tied at 2-2.

Out of the break, the Hawks' Quinn Macguire, who was named the A-10 Rookie of the Year, scored two goals to put SJU ahead, 4-2. Saint Joseph's added a pair of goals in 90 seconds to take a 6-2 advantage. In the waning minutes the Hawks' added one more to secure a 7-2 win.

Notes:

Junior Felicitas Heinzel is fifth in single season saves (161) and eighth in save percentage (.735)
The Spiders scored 43 goals in 2017, which is ninth on the single season chart
This was Richmond's 17 conference tournament appearance
The Spiders had seven student-athletes named to All-Atlantic 10 teams, the most since 2013
Beelaerts van Blokland was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Tournament Team