Oct. 30, 2008

Final Stats

Fairfield, CT - Sophomore Stephanie Fazio (Norwalk, CT) scored the game-winning goal seven minutes into overtime and senior Whitney Mills (Harrisburg, PA) made nine saves in goal as Sacred Heart clinched the number three seed in the NEC Field Hockey Tournament with a 2-1 overtime win over Quinnipiac on Senior Day Thursday at Campus Field.

The game winning goal was set up when Fazio picked up a loose ball just outside the scoring arc. She dribbled in, drawing Quinnipiac goaltender Jenna Grossman out of her cage. From there Fazio lifted the ball over the sprawled out Grossman and it rolled into the cage for the game winner.

After a scoreless first half, junior Kelsey Zeyher (Poughkeepsie, NY) put the Pioneers on the board at the 43 minute mark. Senior Carisa Eye (Nesconset, NY) deflected a ball in the circle and it bounced to Zeyher who slammed it home for the goal.

Mills saved her best performance of the season for the final home game of her career. In a game where Quinnipiac controlled the offensive play for most of the game, the Bobcats held a 19-9 shots advantage. Her two biggest stops came late in the first half and midway through the second half. In the 40th minute she denied Christine Grady and then knocked away another Grady shot seconds later. In the 51st minute, MacKenzie Liptak had a chance whacked away by Becky Dyson (Camp Hill, PA) and then Mills denied two shots by Kaitlyn Notarianni to keep the shutout intact temporarily.

Quinnipiac finally got the tying score with six minutes left in the game. Following a big pressure sequence for the Bobacts, Liptak was able to get loose on the left side of the field and sent a ball into the upper right corner of the cage to even the score.

Both teams had chances to win the game early in overtime. Eye was denied twice in the first five minutes when Grossman kicked out two shots by the Pioneers senior all-star.

Sacred Heart will be the number three seed in the Northeast Conference Tournament at Lock Haven University. The Pioneers will face Rider in the semifinals Friday. Game time will be announced after the regular season is completed this weekend.