New Haven, Connecticut – The Wagner field hockey team captured its fourth Northeast Conference (NEC) victory on the season, defeating Sacred Heart, 2-1, on Sunday evening to earn their first ever berth into the NEC Tournament.
Despite being outshot 9-2 in the opening stanza, the Green & White made the most of their lone corner of the frame. Sophomore
Emma Brushingham inserted a corner and found senior
Julia Cruces Pastorino whose shot got blocked. Senior
Agustina Deharbe found the ball and laid the ball off to freshman
Liselotte Koop, who found the back of the net 13:24 into the contest. Senior netminder
Daisy Ruhle kept the Pioneers at bay in the first, stopping five shots including a penalty stroke early in the contest.
The Pioneers knotted the score midway through the second quarter when senior Christiana Constantino fired a shot past
Daisy Ruhle. The Green & White outshot Sacred Heart 4-1 in the second quarter with two finding the net. Through the first 15 minutes of the contest, Sacred Heart tallied 10 shots and six on goal while Wagner mustered six and four on goal. Both sides had three penalty corner opportunities while
Daisy Ruhle tallied all of her five first half saves in the opening quarter.
The Seahawks came out on the offensive in the third quarter, tallying 10 shots with seven on goal. Sacred Heart sophomore goalkeeper Erin Burgess kept the Seahawks at bay with seven saves in the quarter. Wagner forced seven corner opportunities in the third, but the quarter ended with the score tied at one.
The Pioneers battled back in the fourth quarter, tallying three shots to the Seahawks two.
Daisy Ruhle made two saves in the quarter to keep the game locked at one. The Seahawks put a stamp on the match when senior Laura Van Hamburg made a long run with the ball and found
Agustina Deharbe who laid the ball of to sophomore
Natalie Rocuskie, the Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania native fired a shot into the yawning cage to give Wagner a 2-1 lead with 3:52 remaining. The hosts made one last push to level the score, but the Seahawks defense clamped down and secured the 2-1 victory.
Senior
Agustina Deharbe led the Seahawks with seven shots, while
Liselotte Koop and
Natalie Rocuskie tallied three shots each. Senior
Daisy Ruhle stopped nine shots in the victory.
For the Seahawks, this is the first time in their program history they will be competing in the NEC Tournament in their third year of existence.
Wagner will wrap up the regular season with two matches at the Wagner Field Hockey Complex. First, on Thursday, September 28 when they finish NEC play against Merrimack before hosting Lehigh on Sunday, October 31 for senior day.
