WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – The Fairfield University University field hockey team lost a double overtime thriller 3-2 on Sunday afternoon to top seed and tournament host Monmouth University in the 2016 MAAC Championship Game.
The Stags and Hawks went scoreless in the first 35 minutes. Monmouth dominated the offensive possessions firing 10 shots to Fairfield's one, but Caitlin Bennett played one of her best games making seven key saves to keep the Hawks scoreless in the first half.
In the second half, Julie Laszlo put Monmouth up 1-0 when she took a low shot to the right side off a penalty corner.
In the 51st minute, Hannah Pike connected with Julie de Paeuw to knot the game at one all. Then in the 52nd minute, Ann Burgoyne assisted to Emma Clark to give Fairfield their first lead of the game. The Stags held on for nearly the full time, but the Hawks found a way to score. With 10 seconds left, Monmouth scored off a penalty corner to notch the game at 2-2 and send the Championship Game into overtime.
In the overtime period, both sides showed their best playing through the exhaustion. Bennett once again proved why she was name a First Team All-MAAC Player making a key save on a penalty stroke in the first extra period. But in the 89th minute, Alyssa Ercolino scored the game winner when she deflected a Laszlo shot off a penalty corner to win the 2016 MAAC Championship for the Monmouth Hawks.
Bennett ended with 12 saves in cage and earned a spot on the All-Championship Team alongside classmates Maclaine Matties and Ann Burgoyne.
