Connecticut, BIG EAST Field Hockey Champs
Connecticut Beats Liberty For Seventh Striaght #BIGEASTfh Title
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Connecticut scored two goals in 55 seconds in the second half to pull away from Liberty and win 5-3 in the title game of the BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship presented by Jeep on Sunday afternoon. The Huskies won their seventh straight league crown and defeated Liberty in the final for the third straight year. The Championship was held at the Liberty Field Hockey Field on the campus of Liberty University.
Connecticut, the No. 1 seed, earned the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Championship. Liberty was the No. 2 seed. Both teams are nationally ranked with UConn fourth and Liberty 15th.
UConn senior Cecile Pieper was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament. The win was the 500th victory at Connecticut for Huskies’ head coach Nancy Stevens, who also won her 18th BIG EAST title.
After Liberty’s Moniek van Aarle had tied the game 3-3 at 44:01, the Huskies responded with two quick tallies. Svea Boker scored on a cross at 45:16 and Vivienne Tucker added a goal on a rebound at 46:11.
UConn scored in the first minute of the game when Amanda Collins tallied unassisted 47 seconds into the contest. The Huskies also got first-half goals from Amelia Iacobucci and Toni Tiedtke. Agueda Moroni and Mallory Fortenbaugh scored for Liberty.
The NCAA Selection Show will air Sunday night at 10 p.m. (ET) on the
NCAA.com homepage, where the Championship bracket will be announced. First and second rounds will be played Nov. 9 and 11.
All-Tournament Team
Cecile Pieper, Connecticut
Cheyenne Sprecher, Connecticut
Amanda Collins, Connecticut
Svea Boker, Connecticut
Amelia Iacabucci, Connecticut
Agueda Moroni, Liberty
Ashley Dykema, Liberty
Moniek van Aarle, Liberty
Jill Bolton, Liberty
Mary O’Reilly, Providence
Abby Siana, Villanova
Most Outstanding Player – Ceciile Pieper, Connecticut