Holiday's Penalty Stroke Sends Tufts to NCAA Field Hockey Semifinals
Courtesy Tufts Sports Information
MEDFORD, Mass. - Tufts University senior tri-captain Brittany Holiday (Wellesley, Mass.) scored on a penalty stroke with 1:49 remaining in the second half, giving the Jumbos a 2-1 victory over The College of New Jersey Lions in an NCAA Field Hockey Tournament quarterfinal game on Sunday afternoon at Bello Field.
Tufts advances to the NCAA semifinals for the first time in team history. Coach Tina McDavitt’s team will play Messiah, a 2-1 overtimer winner over Rowan, in the national semi-finals at Eleanor Frost Snell Alumnae Field at Ursinus College in Collegeville, Pennsylvania on Saturday (Nov. 22) at 11:00 am.
With the scored tied at 1-1 and the clock winding down under two minutes in the second half, Tufts junior Michelle Kelly (Downingtown, Pa.) was breaking toward the TCNJ goal a half-step ahead of a Lions defender. Kelly was taken down and an intentional foul was whistled, giving Tufts the penalty stroke. Holiday, 3 for 3 on strokes this fall entering the game, scored with a shot she lifted into the top right corner of the cage.
After the goal, TCNJ won the face-off and quickly put pressure on the Tufts goal. They earned two penalty corner opportunities and had four shots blocked. Tufts was able to hold off the flurry, improving to 18-1 overall. TCNJ ended its season with a 16-3 record.
The finish capped an exciting second half. The Lions had led 1-0 at halftime after scoring on their first shot of the game. Sophomore Leigh Mitchell (Mt. Laurel, N.J.) intercepted a ball and dashed down the right side. She sent a nice crossing pass out front that senior Jenny Lubin (Moorestown, NJ) dove to poke in just 4:41 into the contest. The Lions continued to have the better of play throughout the first half, finishing with a 12-5 margin in shots and 7-4 in corners. Tufts first-year keeper Marianna Zak (Concord, MA) had six saves in the opening 35 minutes.
Tufts netted the equalizer five minutes into the second half when sophomore Amanda Roberts (Wenham, Mass.) intercepted a clearing attempt, carried the ball in on the goal and rifled a low, hard shot for her first collegiate goal.
Both squads had excellent opportunities as the second half continued. Around the 24-minute mark, Jumbo sophomore Tamara Brown (Annandale, Va.) beat a defender to break in on goal, but TCNJ’s Kelly Mitchell (Mt. Laurel, N.J.) came on to break up the play. The Lions’ Leigh Mitchell later deflected a shot just wide of the goal with approximately 12 minutes remaining. A blast by Tufts junior Margi Scholtes (Grosse Pointe, Mich.) after a corner insert was kicked out by TCNJ freshman keeper Shannon Syciarz (Garwood, N.J.).
The Lions finished with advantages of 9-6 in shots and 4-1 in corners for the second half, but Tufts created more quality chances. Kelly’s effort that led to the stroke would be the difference in the game.
TCNJ finished with 21 shots to Tufts’ 11 and was up 11-5 in the final corners count. Zak made 10 saves for the victory in the Tufts goal, while Syciarz had three saves in the Lions goal.
