UNION, N.J. (11/16/13) – Senior Korri Thompson had a goal and an assist in the ECAC semifinal on Saturday but the Kean University field hockey team fell 3-2 in a taught matchup with Alvernia University.
In the first good scoring chance for either side, Kean goaltender Katie DiCarlo came way out of her cage to make a save on Alvernia's first shot of the game five minutes in.
The Crusaders drew first blood on a penalty corner, howver; Melanie Lowry took the insertion from Summer Liberto, wound up and shot a rocket into the back of the net for the opening score.
The Kean senior class answered just three minutes later. Stephanie Soares sent a perfect pass across the field to her classmate Thompson. The Somerville native was all alone and one-timed the ball into the cage for the game-tying score at 16:06.
The next 10 minutes went by scoreless before a big swing occurred late in first. What seemed like a Kean has goal waved off after it was ruled that no one touched the ball in the circle. Alvernia's Margaret Wentzel then took the ball nearly coast to coast down the field to score on a breakaway and gave the Crusaders a 2-1 lead at the break. Alvernia also led in shots (12-8) and penalty corners (5-2) in the first.
The Crusaders scored again 10 minutes into the second period on another breakaway by Wentzel, making the score 3-1 and sending Kean into desperation mode.
Down to the final 15 minutes of the season, the Cougars engineered a pretty scoring play off a penalty corner. Claire Keenan sent the ball to Thompson at the top of the circle. Thompson re-directed the pass right back to Keenan (pictured left) and she one-timed it into the wide-open cage to keep Kean in the game.
With just three minutes remaining on the scoreboard, the Cougars seemingly tied the match on on the exact same play, but Keenan's airborne shot was waived off and the Crusaders escaped with the 3-2 victory.
Kean ends its season with a 15-5 record; tied for the second-best mark in school history.
Alvernia will advance to Sunday's ECAC Mid-Atlantic Championship Game against Stevens Institute of Technology at 11 a.m. at Kean Alumni Stadium.
