University of Delaware Athletics
Five Goals in the Final Seven and a Half Minutes Gives Delaware Field Hockey 5-4 Victory over Saint Joseph?s
9/24/2011 9:53:00 PM | Field Hockey
MERION STATION, Pa. -- Trailing 4-0 with seven minutes and twenty-nine seconds remaining in regulation, the University of Delaware field hockey team stormed back to shock Saint Joseph's, 5-4, on Saturday afternoon at brand new Ellen Ryan Field.
Scoreless through the first half, Saint Joseph's (2-5) scored four goals in the first 17 minutes only to watch Delaware (5-4) steal the show on a day in which the Hawks christened Ryan Field. SJU had not played a field hockey game on campus since November 3, 2007.
Freshman Kelsey McKee completed the monstrous comeback with 13 seconds remaining in the game, converting on a penalty stroke to take the lead. McKee took a shot off a corner that was saved, and after a scrum in front of the net, the referee signaled for a penalty stroke.
The comeback started in the 62nd minute as Taylor Claybrook scored the Blue Hens first goal of the afternoon, beating Hawk goalkeeper Liz Messaros one-on-one. It was Claybrook's first career goal and came with 7:29 left on the clock.
Hannah Pepper put the thought of a comeback into the minds of the Blue Hens with her first goal of the season, 2:54 later on a penalty corner. McKee blasted a shot from the top of the circle and the freshman-to-freshman connection was successful as Pepper tipped the ball past Messaros.
The comeback became real less than two minutes later as Claybrook tallied her second goal of the game with 3:37 remaining in regulation. Amanda McCardell sent a long pass into the circle and Claybrook got her stick on it and redirected into the cage.
Exactly two minutes later, with 1:37 on the clock, Melissa LeNoir knotted the game at 4-4 with her first goal of the season. The Blue Hens converted on another penalty corner, this time after Hannah Pepper took a shot with the tip in goal by LeNoir. In all, the Blue Hens had 16 penalty corners on the afternoon.
One minute and 14 seconds later, McKee put home her second stroke of the year to remain perfect on the season, and give the Hens a 5-4 lead.
The Blue Hens had 11 of their 16 penalty corners in the second half while the Hawks totaled seven on the afternoon. Delaware also outshot the home squad, 22-15.
Noelle Diana moved to 5-4 on the season, making six saves. Messaros made nine saves for the day, seven in the second half.
Delaware will look to make it two in a row on Sunday, as the Hens welcome ACC foe Wake Forest to Rullo Stadium for a 1 p.m. start.
AGATE:
Delaware…...…0…5…5
Saint Joseph's…0…4…4
Scoring Summary: Second Half – SJU – Testa (1) (Walsh, Rowe), 38:45; SJU – Martin (3), 39:16; SJU – Gerdes (1) (Rowe), 39:50; SJU – Martin (4), 51:48; Delaware – Claybrook (1), 61:31; Delaware – Pepper, Hannah (1) (McKee). 64:27; Delaware – Claybrook (2) (McCardell), 66:23; Delaware – LeNoir (1) (Pepper, Hannah), 68:23; Delaware – McKee (5) (Penalty Stroke).
Shots – Delaware 22, Saint Joseph's 15; Penalty Corners – Delaware 16, Saint Joseph's 7; Saves – Delaware 6 (Noelle Diana), Saint Joseph's 9 (Liz Messaros).
