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Field Hockey Final Four Banner, 11-17-24
FOTOJOE PHOTOGRAPHY INC./Hannah Reagle
1
Chris. Newport CHRIS. N (16-2)
2
Winner Salisbury SALISBUR (16-2)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 F
Chris. Newport CHRIS. N 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1
Salisbury SALISBUR 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 2

Game Recap: Field Hockey | | Will DeBoer

No. 1 Field Hockey marches onto NCAA semifinals; outlasts No. 6 CNU in shootout

Sea Gulls headed to first final four since 2019, 16th overall

SALISBURY, Md. – Matching up against their Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference (C2C) rivals for the third time in just over a month, the top-ranked Salisbury University field hockey team again emerged victorious by the slimmest of margins, besting the sixth-ranked Christopher Newport Captains 2-1 by virtue of a 4-3 penalty stroke shootout in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division III Tournament on Sunday afternoon at Sea Gull Stadium.
 
With the win, the Sea Gulls advance to the national semifinals for the 16th time in program history and the first time since 2019. SU will battle second-ranked Middlebury in the second semifinal matchup on Friday at 3 p.m. on the campus of Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Va.
 
Tied once again after 80 minutes of action, the Sea Gulls and Captains went to a shootout for the second time in nine days. SU goalie Merfie Lawson started off by denying Maddison Steele on CNU's first attempt.
 
Salisbury got four straight conversions from Marli McDorman, Ramsey Coffman, Arden Hunteman, and Kaitlyn DeModna to go up 4-3 through four rounds. Needing one more stop to win it, Lawson forced Avery Mast to drift wide to the right, and Mast's shot missed the target, setting off a raucous SU celebration with Lawson at the center.
 
Despite controlling the momentum early and taking the game's first nine shots, the Sea Gulls were unable to break through in the first half. The Captains' best chance came during a penalty corner late in the second quarter. Katie Abendschoen took a shot that clanged off the post and ricocheted to Delaney Norr, but Hannah Johnson dove for a defensive save of Norr's shot to keep the ball out of the cage and preserve the 0-0 draw.
 
Salisbury finally broke through in the opening minute of the third quarter. Hunteman took a shot off a penalty corner that was saved, then McDorman corralled the rebound and deposited the ball in the back of the cage, putting the Sea Gulls on top 1-0.
 
The Captains got that goal back less than a minute later. After an SU foul in the circle, CNU was granted a penalty stroke. Caroline Hughlett aimed for the low left corner and was true to make it 1-1.
 
CNU kept the ball in its offensive zone for the bulk of the fourth quarter, but the Sea Gulls stood tall on defense, forcing the teams into overtime. Salisbury had a prime chance to score in the third minute of OT, but McDorman's initial shot was saved and a second-chancer from DeModna sailed wide. Neither side could break through in the second overtime, forcing the game into a shootout and a moment of glory for Lawson and the Sea Gulls.
 
GAME NOTES
  • Marli McDorman scored her 10th goal of the season for the Sea Gulls' only tally in regular gameplay. McDorman took a team-high nine shots, putting six on target.
  • Emma Radebaugh and Arden Hunteman each put two shots on goal.
  • Hannah Johnson made two defensive saves, giving her five over the three matchups against CNU and seven overall this season.
  • Abbey McIlvain kept the Captains off the scoreboard through 80 minutes of live game action, recording six saves.
  • Merfie Lawson surrendered CNU's goal on a penalty stroke but denied two-of-five Captain chances during the shootout.
  • Salisbury outshot the Captains 22-16 overall and 13-9 in shots on goal. SU also won the penalty corner battle 13-6.
  • The Sea Gulls have now defeated CNU three times at home this season. SU won 3-1 in the regular season fixture on Oct. 16, then again on Nov. 9 in the C2C Championship, 3-2 via a 4-3 shootout.
  • SU lost in the national quarterfinals in each of the last two seasons, falling 2-0 to Williams in 2022 and 1-0 to Johns Hopkins in 2023, before breaking through to the final four in 2024.
 
The Sea Gulls will match up against Middlebury in the NCAA semifinals. The Panthers, who have won six consecutive national championships dating back to 2017, dispatched fifth-ranked Johns Hopkins 3-1 in their quarterfinal matchup on Sunday.
 
SU and Middlebury will square off on Friday at 3 p.m. at the W&L Turf Field in Lexington, Va. The winner will meet either third-ranked Tufts or fourth-ranked Williams, who play in the first semifinal game at 12 p.m., in next Sunday's national championship game at 1 p.m.
 
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with affiliate membership in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (football, men's & women's swimming) and the Coastal Lacrosse Conference (men's lacrosse). With over 500 student-athletes in 23 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the nation's 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 won a combined 23 team national championships, 24 individual national championships, and 201 conference championships, and have produced 50 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.
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