Nov. 1, 2009
Final Stats
Entering the final weekend of play, the Siena field hockey team needed four things to go right in order for the squad to clich a top-four seed and thus return to the NEC Tournament for the first time since 2003. After Saint Francis (Pa.) lost earlier on Sunday, the Saints controlled their own destiny needing only a win over Monmouth to punch their ticket, but came up short in a 5-1 loss to the Hawks in West Long Branch, N.J.
Enza Mazza tallied a hat trick and finished with seven points while Michelle Pieczynski scored the other two goals to clinch the fourth and final seed in the NEC Tournament for Monmouth (8-11, 4-4). Kristin McGorty recorded the lone goal for the Saints (4-14, 2-6) which finished with their best overall record since 2002.
After the teams played to a competitive tie for the vast majority of the first half, Mazza scored twice in the final 3:16 of the period to seriously swing the momentum in the Hawks favor.
After Monmouth took a commanding 3-0 lead early in the second half, McGorty put the Saints on the board with a flick shot following a feed from Lisa Heimerle in the 51st minute. The team-high 14 points scored this season by McGorty were the most in a season for a Siena player since Lacee Iselo and Erin Mead each recorded 19 points in 2002. Additionally, McGorty finishes with 33 points for her career, tying her with Mead for seventh all-time.
The Hawks added a pair more goals in the final 10 minutes to seal their spot in the NEC Tournament and snap a four-game losing streak.
Monmouth out-shot Siena 20-9, although the Saints held an 8-7 edge in short corners. Renee Clavette finished with 11 saves and ends the season with 215 to break Nora Flansburg's single-season record which was 211 in 1999.
