SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – First-year
Caroline Ranucci had two goals and an assist as the Union College field hockey team left no doubt about the better team with an impressive 4-0 victory over NFHCA #16 and reigning national semifinalist Babson College in the first round of the NCAA Division III Championship on Wednesday afternoon at MacDowell Field.
The stunning win continues the historic season for Union (14-6) into the second round of the NCAA Tournament, where the Garnet Chargers will go up against #2 Middlebury College on Saturday at 11 a.m. in Middlebury, Vt.
The Garnet Chargers were impressive in all areas against last year's national semifinalists, completely shutting down the nation's eighth-ranked scoring offense while taking advantage of almost every offensive opportunity to stun the Beavers on their home field.
In addition to Ranucci's two goals, senior
Molly Halliday and first-year
Freja Morris found the net as well for the visitors, while junior
Tess Parker made five stops and first-year
Nadia Michienzi added a defensive save for the second straight game.
"I am so proud of this team," said head coach
Kelly Harchetts. "We knew we were facing an incredible opponent today, but they executed the game plan perfectly. Our defensive unit stayed locked in for all 60 minutes,
Tess Parker came up with some truly spectacular saves when we needed her most, and the offense capitalized when we got our chances in the circle."
The visitors withstood a barrage of early pressure by Babson (15-7), with five penalty corners and five shots coming in the first seven minutes. But Parker made one save and came out of the net to deny several other scoring opportunities, while her defense blocked two other shots to get past Babson's opening salvo.
Union settled in after that and eventually got on the board first with 1:49 remaining in the opening quarter on the team's first extended stay in the offensive zone. After Morris had a great chance in front that resulted in the first corner of the afternoon, junior
Rowan Dapson took a shot that was redirected right to Ranucci, who fired a one-timer past goalie Madison Tibbals for her fifth goal of the year.
The second quarter followed a similar script as Babson came out with tons of offensive pressure, but Parker made two saves and first-year
Nadia Michienzi added a defensive save to keep the Beavers off the scoreboard. And on Union's first foray into the offensive end, the Garnet Chargers earned a penalty corner and again converted, with Ranucci deflecting a corner shot by sophomore
Lily Durivage for her second goal of the day.
The Union defense took over after that point, limiting Babson to just three shots in the third quarter as the visitors moved 15 minutes closer to a victory.
The fourth quarter was all Union, as the Garnet Chargers held a 5-1 edge in shots and a 5-0 advantage in penalty corners to emphatically put the game away. Union converted yet again on a penalty corner with 6:43 left to increase its advantage, when Halliday tipped home a redirection from Ranucci off a corner shot from sophomore
Lily Durivage. Morris put an exclamation point on the game less than three minutes later, cleaning up a scramble in front for her second goal of the year.
Babson finished the game with an 18-10 edge in shots and out-cornered Union by a 13-7 margin, but the visitors scored three times on penalty corners and put four of their five on-target shots into the net on the way to the win that keeps a historic season going.
"All season long, our success has been fueled by an incredible drive to accomplish our goals and a deep love and connection we have for one another," Harchetts added. "We're excited to have more time together."
