Nov. 3, 2007

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Junior midfielder Erin Parker provided the offensive spark with two goals as the second-seeded Massachusetts field hockey team defeated the fourth-seeded host Saint Joseph's, 2-1 to win its tenth Atlantic 10 Championship.

"I knew that if we put in the hard work, had the belief and confidence coming into the tournament, we'd be fine," said Massachusetts head coach Justine Sowry. "Our goal was to make the final, but the momentum kept building for us and we just began to have that belief that we could win it."

Saint Joseph's had opportunities in the early going, but were thwarted by an alert Massachusetts defense, highlighted by junior midfielder Mary Shea's stopped shot on the right side of an open goal at the 31:40 mark.

The Minutewomen struck first after a shot from Katelyn Orlando was stopped by a sprawled out Rebecca Cunfer of the Hawks, leaving the left side of the goal open for Parker to tap in her first score of the afternoon at 20:06.

Parker's presence in the circle paid off once again for Massachusetts after she redirected a long pass from teammate Nicole Phelan for her second goal at 26:58, putting her team up with a commanding 2-0 lead.

Thanks to solid defense and a constant offensive attack, the Minutewomen closed out the first half with a 7-3 shot advantage over Saint Joseph's and two-goal advantage.

The Hawks' regrouped and came out firing in the second half, scoring at 39:15 after Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year Jen Wrublesky pounded in a goal off a scramble, cutting the UMass lead in half, 2-1.

Saint Joseph's kept up constant offensive pressure, doubling their shot total from the first half, but it was the stingy Massachusetts defense that held off any attempts at a Hawk comeback. The Minutewomen held Saint Joseph's scoreless for the final twenty minutes of the game to capture their Conference-record tenth field hockey title.

"We came a long way from not making the tournament last year," said Parker. "It shows a lot about the players and coaches. It's no coincidence that we have the coach of the year, so it definitely helps to have her leading us in the right direction."

The Minutewomen finished the regular season in a tie atop the Atlantic 10 standings with a 6-1 record, but were named the second-seed because of a loss to top-seeded Temple on Oct. 12. The team has won eight of their last ten games for a 13-8 overall record in 2007.

The Championship title is UMass' first since 2001, a season which capped a six-year run of consecutive titles. The Minutewomen also won the A-10 Championship in 1988, 1992 and 1993.

The Minutewomen finished with an 11-9 shot advantage and lost the battle of penalty corners to the Hawks, 5-4. Goalkeeper Becky Letourneau, the Conference leader in goals-against and shutouts, recorded one save in the win.

"The entire team has worked tirelessly and they've endured a lot," said Sowry. "It's just a fantastic reward for everyone and I'm very proud of our team."

Massachusetts will now face 18th-ranked Princeton, the 2007 Ivy League Champion, on Tuesday, Nov. 6, in Princeton, N.J. in a NCAA play-in game starting at 1 pm.

MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER:
Kristina DeRosario, Massachusetts

ALL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM:
Jaime Bourazeris, Massachusetts
Kristina DeRosario, Massachusetts
Cher King, Massachusetts
Erin Parker, Massachusetts
Alex Malatesta, Richmond
Rebecca Cunfer, Saint Joseph's
Brianne Miller, Saint Joseph's
Marisa Pizzi, Saint Joseph's
Anne Schreuders, Saint Joseph's
Katie Young, Saint Joseph's
Alli Lokey, Temple