The Hawk

Issue date: 11/3/06 Section: Sports

Field hockey earned a 2nd seed spot.

They did exactly what they needed to do.

They got to the tournament.

The Saint Joseph's Women's Field Hockey team is ranked second in the Atlantic 10 Conference and qualify for the 2006 Championship, based on their 4-3 league record.

Joining the Hawks will be number one seed Richmond Spiders, ranked #17 nationally. The Spiders posted a 7-0 record in the Atlantic 10 for five years in a row and will host the tourney at Crenshaw Field on University of Richmond's campus. The Spiders, also hold a 14-4 overall record and a 40-game win streak versus Conference opponents.

The fourth seed contender facing the Spiders on Friday is Temple. The Owls earned their fourth seed spot due to the 0-2 ledger versus Saint Joseph's and Rhode Island. Temple's main objective is to limit the number of shots on goal and penalty corner opportunities, what Spiders thrive on.

In the semifinal match, Saint Joseph's will play number three-ranked Rhode Island. Also holding a 4-3 league mark, the Rams went 1-1 versus tied teams and are entering their first A-10 Championship since 2000.

The Rams' dehabilitating weapon is their goalie, M.J. Britt. The deciding game for Rhode Island's spot in the tourney was against University of Massachusetts. The only underdog in this game was UMass's shooting percentage: 22 shots, zero goals. Britt stopped fourteen shots on goal to record her fourth shutout of the season.

Offensively, the Rams lack depth. Freshman Jill Powers and junior Jeannie Records are the only two attackers who have been consistent in their stats, with Records scoring the game winning goal against UMass for A-10 spot.

"They are a team we cannot take lightly," said Head Coach Michelle Finegan.

They are very quick and their goalie is amazing. Our job is to take it one possession at a time and get out shots in."

The post-season appearance will mark the 11th time the Hawks have been to the Atlantic 10 Championship. The title game will begin at 2:00 pm on Saturday, November 4. Admission is free.

These girls have done exactly what they needed to do. Watching them play together in order to achieve this goal has been a thrill. Now is the time to see how bad they really want it.

And how bad they don't want to leave the field.

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