The No. 17 Massachusetts field hockey team (12-2, 5-1 Mid-American) pulled through with a 2-1 overtime victory against James Madison (8-7, 3-3 MAC) after winning 3-1 in a shootout on Friday.
Savanna Henderson scored the lone goal for the Minutewomen, forcing overtime with a clutch goal at the 46:10 mark in the fourth quarter. Offensively, it was a struggle for UMass throughout much of the game as it struggled to find the back of the net until Henderson’s tally.
In the first quarter, the Dukes were the aggressors as Avery Ruckman registered her second career goal with an assist from Julie Narleski late in the opening quarter. Goalkeeper Hannah Popolis made her first collegiate start, with five saves recorded in 80:00 minutes of play. Lilly Sweeney was called up on the field for the shootout and made one stop.
The Minutewomen were outshot 5-1 in that frame; however, this didn’t hinder their confidence. UMass proceeded to outshoot James Madison in each of the next three periods and outshot the Dukes 19-14 overall.
The Minutewomen’s lone goal came on a penalty corner in the second minute of the fourth quarter with a pass from Henderson, assisted by Elena Clococeanu. Goalie Myrte van Herwijnen rejected seven shots and turned away all 13 shots JMU attempted on goal to pick up her 12th win of the season.
Both teams had chances to end the game in overtime, with the Dukes earning eight penalty corners across both overtime periods, while the Minutewomen had four. Neither team could break the tie, as the score remained 1-1 through 80 minutes of play, sending the game into a penalty shootout. Ultimately, the Minutewomen proved to be the better late-game closers in the shooutout victory.
One of the key plays in overtime came from van Herwijnen, who made an incredible diving save with 6:28 remaining in the first overtime to maintain the 1-1 tie. Then, Alexa Collins nearly scored the game-winning goal for the Minutewomen, with a breakaway opportunity that was sent just wide with 15 seconds to play in the period.
UMass had another opportunity at the dagger as Mia Smith’s shot was rejected by James Madison with just over six minutes remaining in the second overtime.
After allowing a successful shot attempt in the first period of the penalty shootout, Van Herwijnen stopped all of the following three attempts. Finally, Elani Sherwood put the ball into the net during the fourth round of the penalty shootout to secure the victory for the Minutewomen. The shootout win was the third of its kind for UMass this season.
The key to victory for the Minutewomen was foul trouble for James Madison, as the Dukes committed 77 fouls to just 59 for UMass. The Minutewomen also finished the contest with 18 penalty corners; a solid advantage compared to the 13 earned by James Madison.
This win improves the Minutewomen’s record to 12-2 overall, allowing an already promising season to continue picking up momentum after the dramatic win.
With the triumph, UMass now holds a 7-3 record all-time against the Dukes. This matchup was the first time the two programs faced each other since the Minutewomen played to a 1-0 victory all the way back on Sept. 12, 2009, in Albany, N.Y.
The Minutewomen will now travel to North Carolina to face Appalachian State on Sunday, Oct. 19 at 12 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
Shaan Baid can be reached at [email protected].
