PHILADELPHIA – In a thrilling title showdown between conference leader Connecticut (20-1, 7-0 BIG EAST) and newcomer Liberty (8-10, 5-2 BIG EAST), the fourth-ranked Huskies claimed their fifth consecutive BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship title with a 3-2 win over the Lady Flames on Sunday. The victory gives UConn its 12
th title since 2000 and 16
th conference crown under head coach Nancy Stevens.
In the tightly-contested final, top-seeded UConn was paced by goals from All-BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year Charlotte Veitner, Co-Defensive Player of the Year Anna Middendorf and forward Amanda Collins. Liberty was guided by goals from Mallory Fortenbaugh and Co-Defensive Player Serena Barr and a game-best 10 saves by All-BIG EAST Freshman of the Year Allison Schaefer.
UConn outshot Liberty, 18-8, including a 13-4 edge in shots on goal.
The teams opened the game in a back-and-forth battle of possessions. Going without a goal for the first ten minutes, UConn’s Veitner stole the ball from a Liberty defender, dribbled to the top of the circle and caged a shot to the bottom right corner of the goal, giving the Huskies a 1-0 advantage at 10:32.
UConn kept the pressure on Liberty’s defense with Middendorf capitalizing off a penalty corner, assisted by senior Darby Smith.
Leading 2-0, the Huskies cushioned their lead with a breakaway play, allowing Amanda Collins to score her third goal of the tournament assisted by senior Olivia Bolles.
Relentless, the Lady Flames used a penalty corner to cut UConn’s lead before the end of the first half. In the play Mallory Fortenbaugh tacked on her first goal of the season, unassisted, cutting UConn’s advantage to 3-1 at the half.
Coming back from the half, Liberty continued to trim the Huskies’ lead with their third penalty corner of the game. Serena Barr caged the second goal of the game for the Lady Flames off a double assist from Fortenbaugh and Bethany Barr.
Liberty would fire one more shot in the second half but would not be able to find the equalizer, giving the game to UConn, 3-2.
With the victory, the Huskies receive the conference’s automatic bid into the NCAA Field Hockey Championship for their 28
th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.
Collins was named the BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship’s Most Outstanding Player, with a tournament-high six points on three goals over the week.
Collins was also named to the All-Tournament Team along with her teammates Svea Boker, Casey Umstead, Middendorf and Veitner.
Most Outstanding Player
Amanda Collins, Connecticut
All-Tournament Team
Paige Gross, Temple
Floor Rozemeijer, Providence
Bethany Barr, Liberty
Serena Barr, Liberty
Allison Schaefer, Liberty
Agueda Moroni, Liberty
Svea Boker, Connecticut
Anna Middendorf, Connecticut
Casey Umstead, Connecticut
Charlotte Veitner, Connecticut
Amanda Collins, Connecticut