Monmouth Takes 2014 MAAC Field Hockey Championship
MAAC Sports
WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Senior forward Amanda Schoenfeld was named the Most Valuable Player as she helped guide the number one seeded Monmouth University Hawks to a 6-1 victory over the number two seeded Rider University Broncs in the 2014 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Field Hockey Championship, held at So Sweet A Cat Field on the campus of Monmouth University.
Monmouth All-MAAC first team senior forwards Amanda Schoenfeld and Trish O’Dwyer were connecting the entire game to lead the Hawks to their first MAAC field hockey championship title. Schoenfeld and O’Dwyer combined for five goals and 14 points in the championship final. The Hawks registered their first goal at the 17:05 mark when O’Dwyer connected with Schoenfeld who put her shot into the far post for her 14th goal of the season and second of the MAAC Championship playoff. In the 27th minute Schoenfeld and O’Dwyer connected again, this time with O’Dwyer receiving a cross pass on an odd man rush to score her first goal of the game. With the goal O’Dwyer became Monmouth’s all-time leading point’s scorer. Three minutes later with halftime approaching, O’Dwyer again connected with Schoenfeld on a two on one and put the ball into the cage to put Monmouth ahead 3-0. After the half, Rider came out strong when the Broncs’ sophomore midfielder Carlotta Alsina scored an unassisted goal on a straight shot to bring the score within two. The Broncs would be held off the scoreboard for the rest of the afternoon. In the 43rd minute, O’Dwyer once again connected with Schoenfeld for the hat trick that came off a corner and was shot high into the netting. Freshman forward Maartje Wicherink later scored an unassisted goal on a backhand shot with 15 minutes remaining in the game. O’Dwyer concluded the scoring with an unassisted backhand shot through the Broncs’ keepers legs to put the Hawks up 6-1 and solidified Monmouth’s victory. Monmouth goalkeeper Christen Piersanti made one save, while Rider goalkeeper Joelle Prettyman had six saves in the match.
Monmouth controlled possession through much of the match, with the Hawk’s outshooting the Broncs’ 19-4. Rider was able to put two shots on goal to Monmouth’s 16.
The victory gives Monmouth its 13th win of the season. In addition to MVP Schoenfeld, Casey Hanna, Julie Laszlo, and Trish O’Dwyer were named to the All-Championship team.
Rider, who advanced to the title game of the MAAC Field Hockey Championship for the first time, saw their season come to a close with an 11-9 mark. The Broncs placed Carlotta Alsina, Stacey Dileo and Dezarae Fillmyer on the All-Championship team.
Quinnipiac’s Danielle Allan and Lea Dietrichs, as well as Sacred Heart’s Liz Bergman and Rachel Claroni were also named to the MAAC field hockey All-Championship team.
With the victory, Monmouth claims the MAAC’s automatic bid the 2014 NCAA Field Hockey Championship. The Hawks will learn where they will be headed in the NCAA tournament when the field is unveiled on the NCAA Division I Field Hockey Selection Show on Sunday, Nov. 9, at 10:00 p.m. The Selection Show can be viewed at NCAA.com.
2014 MAAC FIELD HOCKEY ALL-CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM
|
MVP – Amanda Schoenfeld
|
Monmouth
|
|
Casey Hanna
|
Monmouth
|
|
Julie Laszlo
|
Monmouth
|
|
Trish O’Dwyer
|
Monmouth
|
|
Carlotta Alsina
|
Rider
|
|
Stacey Dileo
|
Rider
|
|
Dezarae Fillmyer
|
Rider
|
|
Danielle Allan
|
Quinnipiac
|
|
Lea Dietrichs
|
Quinnipiac
|
|
Liz Bergman
|
Sacred Heart
|
|
Rachel Claroni
|
Sacred Heart
|
Visit maacsports.com, and for all updates on field hockey, and follow the conversation on twitter using the hashtag #MAACFH.