Staten Island, NY - The top-seeded Wagner College field hockey team defeated the fourth-seeded LIU Sharks in the semifinal round of the 2024 Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament, advancing to the tournament's title match on Saturday, November 9 at noon.
The Seahawks will faceoff against the winner of the #2 Rider-#3 Fairfield matchup that is set to take place at 2:00 pm on Thursday, November 7.
LIU's Lotte Haagmans scored the first goal of the game just five minutes into the opening frame.
Shortly before the first half horn, All-NEC First-Team member sophomore Charlotte Müller sliced through the Sharks defense to score, unassisted, in the second quarter to tie the contest at one.
After a scoreless second half, the Seahawks and Sharks went into overtime tied, 1-1.
The Seahawks took seven shots to the Sharks' zero across 13 minutes of overtime. Seven minutes into the second overtime period, freshman Romy Matthies drove up the right side of the field and was able to find the back of the cage to lift the Green & White to their second consecutive NEC Championship game.
As a team, Wagner took 15 shots, with eight on target, and earned four corner opportunities. For LIU, the Sharks took 12 shots, with three on target, and received two corner opportunities.
This match marked the seventh overtime game of Seahawks 2024 campaign, as they improved to 5-2 in games that go over regulation time.
In net, the conference's Defensive Player of the Year freshman Saar van Dalen played all 77 minutes of the semifinal match for Wagner. Van Dalen saved two shots, both in the first half, to bring her season total to 82, and her goals allowed average to 1.39.
Along with Müller and Matthies, sophomore Floortje Leunisse, junior Matilda Heisel, junior Pilar Lorenzini, junior Hailey Copestick, and freshman Evie de Baar all took shots for the Green & White during the game.
