#6 Field Hockey Falls to #10 Saint Anselm in Regular Season Finale Saturday
Links: Box Score
MANCHESTER, N.H. – The sixth-ranked Merrimack College field hockey team lost for just the second time in the last 12 games on Saturday afternoon, falling to 10th-ranked Saint Anselm, 2-1, in the team's regular season finale.
The Basics
Score: #10 Saint Anselm 2, #6 Merrimack 1
Records: #6 Merrimack (11-4-3, 8-4-2 NE-10) | #10 Saint Anselm (14-2-2, 12-2 NE-10)
Location: Grappone Stadium | Manchester, N.H.
NE-10 Postseason Outlook:
The top-six programs in the NE-10 standings advance to the NE-10 Championship, with the top-two teams receiving a bye. The Warriors will host six-seeded Bentley on Tuesday in a quarterfinal matchup at 4:00 p.m.
1. Adelphi (10-2)
2. Assumption (10-2)
3. Merrimack (9-3)
4. Stonehill (9-3)
5. Saint Anselm (9-3)
6. Bentley (7-5)
How It Happened
The first half of the contest would go by scoreless despite both teams firing off a total of 16 shots in the opening half, including 10 from the Warriors. Senior Madison Davis (San Jose, Calif.) would make 4 saves in the first, while Saint Anselm's keeper would make six.
The Hawks would net the first score of the game just over two minutes into the second half. Emma Kincaid would net her 11th of the season off of a penalty corner for Saint Anselm to put her squad up 1-0.
The Warriors would answer 12 minutes later on a goal from senior Chrsitine Zubkus (Dover, N.H.), scoring in similar fashion to her other scores this season. Zubkus would line up closest to the ball on a penalty corner and receive the pass, firing the ball on net immediately from the arc and blowing it by the keeper to tie the game up. Zubkus also scored four of her six goals last season against Saint Anselm.
The game-winner for the Hawks would come in the 60th minute, as Meagan Halligan would score her ninth of the season. Davis would make an initial stop on a shot with a shin pad save, but Halligan was there to clean up the rebound for the score. The Warriors would be unable to answer in the final 10 minutes, suffering just their third conference loss this year.
Inside The Numbers
- The Warriors doubled the shot production of the Hawks in the game, outshooting them 26-13, including 16-7 in the second half.
- The Warriors would outnumber Saint Anselm in penalty corner in the game by a margin of 19-7, including 12-2 in the second half.
- All three of the Warriors' conference losses this season have come against top-10 nationally ranked teams
Up Next
The Warriors will be the three seed for the Northeast-10 Championships, and will host six-seeded Bentley on Tuesday in a quarterfinal matchup at 4:00 p.m.
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