Monmouth, Stanford Set for Clash in #AEFH Championship Game
WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – The regular season champions will meet in the 2019 America East Field Hockey Championship on Sunday after #1 Monmouth and #3 Stanford advanced in an exciting Friday in semifinal play. The Hawks battled #5 Cal in a high-scoring contest and pulled out a 4-3 victory to open the day. The Cardinal needed a shootout to beat #2 Maine as neither team scored through two overtimes.
Monmouth 4, Cal 3
- Monmouth opened the scoring 29 seconds into the game thanks to a freshmen connection between Yasmin Pratt and Aylin Aufenacker.
- The teams exchanged goals and eventually it was 2-2 at the end of the first quarter with Pratt responsible for both Monmouth scores.
- Cal senior Katrina Carter was awarded a penalty stroke with less than a minute left in the quarter to tie the match at two.
- The Bears led 3-2 going into halftime and stayed in front deep into the fourth quarter until the Hawks scored twice in the final three minutes to secure the victory.
- Following a goalkeeper substitution, Meg de Lange scored the equalizer through traffic in front of the cage.
- First-Team All-Conference choice Annick van Lange riffled home the game winner up high with just 50 seconds left.
- Monmouth has yet to lose to an #AEFH opponent this season and is seeking its third trip to the NCAA tournament in four years.
Stanford 1, Maine 0
- Contrary to the first semifinal, the Cardinal and Black Bears defenses were the focal point in the final match of the day.
- Led by Cassandra Mascarenhas, Maine staved off six penalty corners from Stanford and goalkeeper Mia Borley finished with eight saves, three of which came in the second overtime.
- Goalkeeper of the Year Kelsey Bing stopped all four shots she faced in the shootout to send the Cardinal to the championship game.
- Stanford outshot Maine 19-6 over the course of the match, including 6-1 in the two overtime periods.
- It was the first time Stanford has beaten Maine in #AEFH championship play.
- The Cardinal return to the championship game for the first time since 2017 and third time overall. They have never lost in the final round of the tournament.
The championship match will be played Sunday at noon ET on AmericaEast.TV. This is the first time since the conference has had two divisions that regular season champions from opposing divisions will meet in the championship game. The matchup features two top-15 offense in the country, each of which is riding a win streak of at least five games. Stanford is seeking its third #AEFH title in four years while Monmouth looks to win the championship in its first season in the league.
Stay up-to-date on the tournament by visiting #AEFH Championship Central for streaming and live stats links as well as box scores and recaps in addition to team information, tournament history and more. Follow @AmericaEast and @AEDigitalNet on Twitter to get real-time championship updates. Use the #AEChamps and #AEFH hashtags to join the conversation.
2019 America East Field Hockey Championship
Hosted by Monmouth
Quarterfinals – Thursday, Nov. 7
#5 California 2, #4 New Hampshire 1
#3 Stanford 1, #6 UAlbany 0
Semifinals – Friday, Nov. 8
#1 Monmouth 4, #5 Cal 3
#3 Stanford 1, #2 Maine 0 (SO)
Championship game – Sunday, Nov. 10
#1 Monmouth vs. #3 Stanford – 12 p.m. (AETV)
About America East: The America East provides its member schools and their athletic programs a platform upon which student-athletes can achieve both collegiate and life success through the promotion and nurturing of athletic excellence, academic achievement and leadership, on and off the field.
- #3Pillars – Building the Complete Student-Athlete -