No. 4 Saint Joseph’s defeated the No.15 Massachusetts field hockey team 2-1 in the Atlantic 10 Championship for the third straight year, avenging its earlier loss in September.

The championship hump is something UMass (15-5, 7-0 A-10 hasn’t been able to get over since 2014. The Hawks (17-3, 6-1 A-10) have won seven of the last eight A-10 conference tournaments, including the last four. They are also coached by Minutewomen alumna Hannah Prince.

Throughout the game, UMass held the upper hand in nearly every statistical category except the one that matters most, goals. The Minutewomen outshot the Hawks 10 to four and led in penalty corners, earning nine to the Hawks’ five. However, Saint Joseph’s capitalized on its limited opportunities, ultimately securing the victory.

UMass tied it up five minutes into the second half with a goal by sophomore Neva Eisenga, marking her fourth tally of the season. The assist came from Elena Cloconeau, her fifth of the year. Saint Joseph’s clinched the game with a decisive goal by Sol Borensztein, who tipped in a pass from Julia Duffhuis during a penalty corner. Duffhuis, later named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, also opened the scoring in the first quarter with her ninth goal of the season, which leads the Hawks.

In a last-ditch effort to tie the game, A-10 Coach of the Year Barb Weinberg pulled the conference Goaltender of the Year, Myrte van Herwijnen, allowing UMass a man advantage and a series of offensive chances. However, shot attempts from top Minutewomen, including Dempsey Campbell, Claire Danahy, Cloconeau and two from Hannah de Gast, fell short. Once again, UMass witnessed a familiar sight: a celebratory Saint Joseph’s dogpile.

Despite the loss, six UMass players—Cloconeau, Eisenga, de Gast, Paula Lorenzini, Danahy and Elani Sherwood—were selected for the All-Tournament team. Sherwood and Danahy each had a goal against VCU and de Gast had two. Lorenzini and Eisenga had an assist as well. Cloconeau had two assists to go with her one on Friday to lead the tournament.

The loss brings a bittersweet close to the Minutewomen’s tenure as a founding member of the A-10, as the team prepares its transition to the Mid-American Conference (MAC) next season. This move could be a promising one for UMass field hockey, as the MAC currently has no teams ranked in the coaches’ poll, offering a potentially more favorable landscape for a team with upward momentum. Historically, UMass has an impressive record in A-10 tournament play, with a 43-18 record and 16 conference championships to its name.

While the automatic NCAA Tournament bid slipped through their grasp, the Minutewomen remain hopeful for an at-large bid, given their ranking and solid season record. Currently on the tournament bubble, UMass will await the final decision during the NCAA Selection Show, scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 10, at 10 p.m.