DOBBS FERRY, N.Y. – Sarah Reifsnyder made 16 saves and kept No. 4 seed D'Youville level through 68 minutes, but No. 1 seed Mercy scored with 1:37 left in overtime to edge the Saints 1-0 in the ECC Field Hockey Championship semifinals Wednesday afternoon at Mercy Field.
Alyssa Benvengo scored the game's only goal off an assist from Charlotte Sabert, sending the Mavericks to Saturday's championship final and avenging a regular-season loss to the Saints.
How It Happened
Mercy came out firing with seven shots in the first quarter, but Reifsnyder turned away five of them to keep the game scoreless. The Saints answered by controlling the middle two quarters, earning nine penalty corners across the second and third periods. The Saints created good looks throughout, with Jimena Loustalot and Madisyn Grawl each testing Mercy goalkeeper Kaylise McClure, but she kept them off the board.
The Mavericks pushed hard in the fourth quarter, outshooting D'Youville 8-2, and Reifsnyder made save after save down the stretch, stopping seven shots in the period. The Saints nearly won it in regulation when Grawl got a shot on goal off a penalty corner with 4:09 left, but McClure came up with an impressive save to send the game to overtime.
D'Youville had its best chance early in the extra period. Loustalot fired three shots in a 39-second span, including one off a penalty corner, but McClure saved two and the third was blocked. Mercy broke through at 8:23 of overtime when Benvengo finished a feed from Sabert for her eighth goal of the season.
Notables
- Reifsnyder played all 68:23 in goal and finished with 16 saves, including seven in the fourth quarter.
- Loustalot, the ECC Player of the Year, led all players with seven shots, six on goal.
- Grawl added four shots, three on goal.
- D'Youville held a 15-10 edge in penalty corners. Mercy led 22-15 in shots and 17-10 in shots on goal.
- McClure made 10 saves for the shutout.
- The game was the Saints' first appearance in the ECC Championship, which made its debut this season. A crowd of 400 attended.
D'Youville closes its first season under head coach Marnie Reidell at 7-11 overall and 5-5 in the ECC. Mercy (10-7) hosts The winner of Roberts-Wesleyan and Dominican in the ECC Championship final Saturday, Nov. 14.
