CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Top-seeded Simmons College (14-4, 5-1 GNAC) edged #2 Saint Joseph's College (13-7, 5-1 GNAC), 1-0, in the 2015 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Field Hockey Championship at Jack Barry Field on the MIT campus on Saturday evening.
With the victory, Simmons claims the conference title for the second-consecutive season and earns an automatic berth into the NCAA DIII Field Hockey Championship Tournament, which begins on Wednesday.
For the Monks, the loss signals the end of the 2015 campaign and the collegiate careers of the program's four seniors: Chelsea Bordeau (Rumford, Maine), Amanda Celata (Dedham, Mass.), Brenna Fitzgibbon (Exeter, N.H.) and Meghan Williams (Greenland, N.H./St. Thomas Aquinas).
Junior forward Jenna Gagnon (Waterville, Maine), who was named the GNAC Tournament Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row, snapped home the winning tally at 45:05 of the second half. Junior midfielder Amy Wilson (Falmouth, Mass.) carried the ball from midfield to the right side of the circle before dishing to sophomore forward Julie Saltamartini (East Hampstead, N.H.) on the right side of the box. Saltamartini then found Gagnon in stride for a one-timer in the left slot for what proved to be the game-winning marker.
The Monks threatened in the 15th minute of the first half when junior Kelsey Dumond (Lewiston, Maine) fired a shot off the left post following a penalty corner. Saint Joseph's later looked to score the equalizer in the final 14 minutes of the match with five penalty corners, including three in the span of less than a minute with Simmons down a player, due to a green card. The Monks managed three shots during their flurry, but were unable to connect for a score.
The Sharks, who have now won five straight games, held a 9-6 shots advantage while the Monks owned a 6-4 lead in penalty corners on the evening.
Junior keeper Brianna Rastello (Salem, N.H.) stopped three shots on the night to earn her eighth shutout of the season and 14th of her career for the Sharks, while extending her scoreless streak to 308:52 minutes. Senior back Alexia Malone Oliver (Bristol, R.I.) also made a defensive save for Simmons during Saint Joseph's late match rush.
First-year goalie Megan Baker (Gorham, Maine) made a pair of saves in the loss for the Monks.
2015 GNAC Field Hockey All-Tournament Team
MVP: Jenna Gagnon - junior forward (Waterville, Maine) - Simmons
Julie Saltamartini - sophomore forward (East Hampstead, N.H.) - Simmons
Amy Cronin – senior midfielder (Georgetown, Mass.) – Simmons
Alexia Malone Oliver – senior defender (Bristol, R.I.) - Simmons
Maizy Wagner – sophomore defender (Chester County, Pa.) - Simmons
Elyse Caiazzo - sophomore midfielder (Scarborough, Maine/Cheverus) – Saint Joseph's
Michalia Parent – freshman forward (Westborough, Mass.) – Saint Joseph's
Megan Baker – freshman goalkeeper (Gorham, Maine) – Saint Joseph's
Katherine Abro - junior midfielder (Leicester, Mass.) – Anna Maria
Lauren Beauregard - junior midfielder (Hubbardston, Mass.) – Anna Maria
Jessica Kocur - sophomore midfielder (Mattapoisett, Mass.) – Johnson & Wales
Shannon Yoder - sophomore goalie (Boyertown, Pa.) – Johnson & Wales
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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
