BALTIMORE, Md. – Freshman
Ramsey Coffman converted a penalty stroke eight minutes into overtime to deliver the sixth-ranked Salisbury University field hockey team a dramatic 1-0 win over the eighth-ranked Williams Ephs in the second round of the 2023 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Tournament, hosted by Johns Hopkins University on Saturday afternoon at Homewood Field.
The Sea Gulls will advance to face fourth-ranked Johns Hopkins in the quarterfinals on Sunday at 1 p.m. with a trip to championship weekend up for grabs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Sea Gulls spent most of the first quarter in their defensive end as the Ephs put up three shots to SU's one. Addy O'Connell made a pair of saves in front of the cage.
- The second quarter played out just like the first with Williams winning the shot margin 3-1. Arden Hunteman put SU's first shot on goal in the 21st minute, but Eph keeper Gates Tenerowicz made the save.
- Salisbury produced a prime chance to break the deadlock in the third quarter as Marli McDorman drew a 37th-minute penalty stroke, but Tenerowicz got in front of the attempt and kept the contest scoreless.
- The fourth quarter proved a defensive struggle as neither side took a shot, sending proceedings into sudden-death overtime.
- Isabel Larrabee put a shot on target in the first minute of the extra session but was stonewalled by Tenerowicz.
- In the 68th minute, the Sea Gulls drew their second penalty stroke of the afternoon. Off the bench came Baltimore native Ramsey Coffman, who delivered a moment of glory in her hometown by lifting a shot into the high right corner of the cage.
SALISBURY GAME NOTES
- Ramsey Coffman scored her first career goal on the overtime penalty stroke in just her seventh appearance of the season.
- Marli McDorman took the Sea Gulls' other penalty stroke in the third quarter.
- Arden Hunteman put both of her shots on target.
- Salisbury took just six shots to Williams' 10 but put five of them on goal.
- Addy O'Connell made a pair of saves in 67-plus minutes to secure the overtime clean sheet.
- The win was SU's first in extra time this season after dropping a pair of extended games at Messiah and Johns Hopkins in September.
- SU avenged its third-round loss to the Ephs in last year's NCAA Tournament by punching its ticket to back-to-back national quarterfinals.
WILLIAMS GAME NOTES
- Laura Ryan and Pilar Torres took the only two shots on goal for the Ephs on the day.
- Gates Tenerowicz made four saves in the loss, including one on McDorman's third-quarter penalty stroke.
- Williams won the penalty corner battle 8-6.
UP NEXT
- The Sea Gulls will face hosts Johns Hopkins, who bested No. 24 Ithaca 3-1 on Saturday, in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals. Opening pushback from Homewood Field is slated for 1 p.m.
- This will be the teams' second matchup of the season. The Blue Jays defeated Salisbury 2-1 in a stroke-off on Sept. 13 in Baltimore.
- The winner will advance to the NCAA Tournament semifinals, set to be held in Newport News, Va., on Friday, Nov. 17.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football and men's and women's swimming, and the Coastal Lacrosse Conference for men's lacrosse. With over 500 student-athletes in 21 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 23 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 196 conference championships, and 45 Academic All-Americans.
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.
