HENNIKER, NH – New England College (3-6, 2-1 NAC) posted a 3-2 overtime victory over Saint Joseph's (5-2, 2-1 NAC) in a North Atlantic Conference (NAC) field hockey contest on Saturday afternoon.
New England sophomore Patricia Wright (Essex, Mass.) netted a goal 5:31 into extra play to lift the Pilgrims to their third victory of the year and first win over St. Joe's in three meetings between the conference rivals.
New England College would waste no time getting on the board as junior forward Rachel Hunt (Harwich, Mass.) would net her second goal of the season assisted by Kristen O'Connell (Melrose, Mass.) just 1:14 into the game.
The two teams would battle through the remainder of the opening half scoreless as the Pilgrims would hold the slight 11-7 advantage in shots.
St. Joe's would have a scoring opportunity early in the second half as Carley Denis (Lewiston, Maine) would have a wide open look at the net but NEC defender Jaclyn Papagni (Lynnfield, Mass.) would come up with a huge defensive save keeping the Monks off the board.
NEC would take a 2-0 lead ten minutes into the second half as O'Connell would find senior midfielder Rachel Carnaroli (Bellingham, Mass.) who would lift a shot over Monk keeper Taylor Allison (Pawtucket, R.I.) recording her fourth goal of the season.
Saint Joseph's would respond just 40 seconds later as Monks' leading scorer Rachelle Messuri (Atkinson, N.H.) would dribble through three Pilgrim defenders to net her fourth goal of the season. The Monks would knot the game at 2-2 with 11:29 remaining to play as Amanda Celata (Dedham, Mass.) would fire in a pass from Meghan Williams (Greenland, N.H.).
The two teams would force overtime closing out the game scoreless. It would be the Pilgrims who would come out on top in the first overtime as Wright would put in a pass from Alicia Bartosik (Hoosick Falls, N.Y.) 5:31 in giving NEC the 3-2 victory.
Picking up the win in goal for NEC was Courtney Duquette (Enfield, N.H.) who finished with 15 saves. SJC senior netminder Taylor Allison (Pawtucket, R.I.) finished with eight saves.
New England College returns to action on Sunday, Sept. 23 when they host NAC opponent Husson University. Saint Joseph's College will take the field on Sunday as well, squaring off against NAC foe Rivier College at 1:00 PM.
COURTESY OF NEC SPORTS INFORMATION
Saint Joseph's College, founded in 1912 by the Sisters of Mercy, celebrates its Centennial year in 2012 with a theme of "Realize the Promise" – honoring our commitment to educating well-rounded graduates who combine career focus with classic liberal arts studies. A Private, Catholic, primarily residential, coeducational liberal arts institution, Saint Joseph's welcomes students of all ages and all faiths. The campus, located 18 miles northwest of Portland and just two hours from Boston, encompasses 350 acres along the shore of beautiful Sebago Lake in Standish, Maine. Enrollment ranges between 1,000 and 1,100 students annually. Saint Joseph's offers challenging academic programs in the liberal arts and sciences, education, nursing and business fields in a value-centered environment.
