By: Katie Zigelman, News Correspondent
The field hockey team ended Drexel University’s nine-game winning streak Sunday with a 3-2 win, placing the Huskies fourth in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) with a 4-2 conference record, and improving to 9-9 on the season.
By defeating the first-place Dragons, the Huskies increased their chances of making it into the CAA Championships, and only need one more win to secure a playoff spot.
“This is a game I will never forget,” senior midfielder Meg Sweeney said. “It was an unbelievable feeling to beat the No. 1 team in conference. We were the underdogs and we proved them wrong.”
The Huskies got on the board first when junior forward Carolyn Malloy scored her eighth goal of the season 1:05 minutes into the game off of an assist from sophomore midfielder Allison Conti.
The Dragons weren’t down for long, as forward Christina Mastrapaolo fired a shot past sophomore goalkeeper Lizzie Priest seven minutes later, bringing the game to a 1-1 tie. Four minutes later, Drexel struck again when forward Susan Ciufo scored, giving the Dragons a 2-1 lead.
In the second half, head coach Cheryl Murtagh pulled Priest and added sophomore midfielder/back Emily Norellto to give the Huskies a one-player advantage. The move paid off and junior midfielder Annie Clayman scored, tying the game 2-2.
“It absolutely worked,” Murtagh said. “She only played for about 30 seconds before we took her back out, but she had a nice pass to Nicky [Graham] who was able to make the assist. We were playing pretty aggressive.”
Sophomore forward Crystal Poland scored the final goal of the game off a penalty stroke with three minutes left in the game, giving the Huskies a 3-2 win.
This was the Huskies’ second conference win of the weekend following a 5-0 shutout against Hofstra University Friday. Poland and Malloy paced the offense, scoring two goals apiece. Junior midfielder Kaela Barker scored the fifth and Priest only needed to make three saves to record her fourth shutout of the season.
The Huskies are not yet guaranteed a spot in the CAA championships, but they are close. If they beat third-place Virginia Commonwealth University tomorrow afternoon, they will clinch a spot. But if they don’t manage a win against the Rams, then they have to defeat fifth-place James Madison University Sunday in order to get in.
Last Sunday’s game was special as it was the Huskies’ final home game of the regular season. Senior midfielder Meg Sweeney and senior back Anne-Rieke Stuhlmann were recognized for their 150 combined games in their collegiate careers. In addition to the traditional Star Spangled Banner, the German national anthem was also played in honor of Stuhlmann’s native country.
Hearing both national anthems played was an emotional experience for everyone, Sweeney said.
“It gave me the chills,” she said. “Anne’s been such a great part of the team for the past four years and I can only imagine what it must have been like for her.”
Murtagh has been with them from the beginning and had a lot to say about their senior game.
“Meg and Anne have both been so dedicated to the team,” Murtagh said. “We’ve had some ups and downs over the years but I have never heard a negative word out of either of them. They have remained positive through it all.”
But the season is not over yet.
“We are in a great position to do well and go to the CAA Tournament,” Sweeney said. “We still have a lot to do and I am just excited and have confidence in myself and my team to know that we can succeed.”
