HENNIKER, NH – Fourth-seeded New England College (9-11, 6-3 NAC) tipped #5 Saint Joseph's College (9-8, 5-4 NAC), 2-1, in a North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Field Hockey Tournament quarterfinal contest on Saturday afternoon.

With the win the Pilgrims advance in the tournament and will square off against top-seeded Husson University in NAC Semifinal action on Wednesday, October 31st. For the Monks, the loss signals the end of the 2012 season.

New England College kicked off the game scoring in the 22nd minute as senior Katherine Rich (Westborough, Mass.) netted her seventh goal of the season, firing in a corner off the stick of senior Rachel Carnaroli (Bellingham, Mass.).

The Monks proceeded to knot the game just over two minutes later when junior Rachelle Messuri (Atkinson, N.H.) converted a penalty stroke attempt for her team-high eighth goal of the season.

The two teams battled through the remainder of the opening half and the majority of the second half before NEC broke the drought at the 59:12 mark when Pilgrims forward Kristen O'Connell (Melrose, Mass.) scored the eventual game-winner off a Jen Adams (Brimfield, Mass.) feed.

NEC finished the game with the slight 13-10 advantage in shots and the 10-7 advantage in corners.

Picking up the win in goal for the Pilgrims was Courtney Duquette (Enfield, N.H.), who finished with nine saves.  St. Joe's keeper Taylor Allison (Pawtucket, R.I.) suffered the loss after recording eight saves.

The loss signals the end of collegiate field hockey for the Monks' four seniors: Allison, Melanie Allen (Jackson, N.H.), Elizabeth Andersen (Cumberland, Maine) and Brittany Locke (Waterville, Maine). This senior class helped the Royal Blue post a 49-24 (.671) overall record and a 27-5 (.844) mark in conference play over the last four years.

THANKS IN LARGE PART TO 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.