SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – Junior
Maggie Monaghan scored a pair of goals from the penalty spot, including the game-winning goal 81 seconds into the second overtime period, as the second-seeded Union College field hockey team advanced to the Liberty League championship game for the second straight year with a thrilling 4-3 (2OT) semifinal win over third-seeded Vassar College on Friday evening at Frank Bailey Field at Bertagna-Class of 19856 Stadium.
Monaghan and senior
Rachel Ostiguy both picked excellent times for their first multi-goal games of the season to lead Union (12-6), helping Union avenge last year's championship game loss to Vassar (9-8). As a result of the win, Union will take the short trip east to top-seeded Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on Sunday for a 1 p.m. matchup with the #20 Engineers for the Liberty League title.
Friday's game featured big momentum shifts in both directions, with Vassar having the better of play in the first and fourth quarters and Union dominating the second and third stanzas.
The Brewers outscored the Garnet Chargers 2-1 in the first quarter of play to take the lead early. Ostiguy got Union on the board first 3:26 into the game, taking a pass from senior
Amy Vytopilova in front of the net and beating Kendra Pitts. But Ostiguy's shot was Union's last of the quarter, as Vassar took the last six shots and scored twice from Sophia Jammar and Julia Morris to take its first lead of the game.
Union dominated play for the next 30 minutes, outshooting Vassar 17-1 and holding an 18-0 edge in penalty corners. Despite that commanding edge, however, nine saves from Pitts and several missed opportunities kept the home team off the board headed into the fourth frame.
As they have in several games this season, the Garnet Chargers came out strong in the fourth frame, getting the game-tying goal from Ostiguy less than two minutes in as she tipped home a shot by senior
Maddie Greco. Over three minutes later another opportunity arose when a penalty stroke was whistled against the Brewers, and Monaghan hopped off the sidelines to pick the corner and put Union ahead by a goal with 9:27 left.
Vassar responded with a flurry of offensive chances, which eventually resulted in a Sydney Yu tip in front of junior
Tess Parker for the game-tying goal with 7:02 remaining. Parker came up with another key stop soon after to keep the game tied, the last shot of the frame for either side as the game headed to overtime.
The first overtime period featured only a combined three shots, with Parker making one save early on to keep the game tied.
At the start of the second overtime, Union earned its 22nd penalty corner attempt of the game, and on the subsequent insert to junior
Rowan Dapson, she was fouled along the top of the arc and another penalty corner was called. Monaghan was again called into action off the bench, as the junior set off a celebration in Schenectady by finding the net for the second time.
Union ended the evening with a 24-14 edge in shots to go with a massive 22-8 advantage in penalty corners. Parker made seven saves to earn the win for Union and Pitts stopped nine shots to keep her team in the game.
