Box Score
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Senior co-captain Lia Sagerman scored the game-winner with 8:30 remaining
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GENEVA, NY - The Tufts University field hockey team scored twice in the final 20 minutes to overcome a halftime deficit and take a 2-1 win over Bowdoin in the third round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday at William Smith College.
Tufts advances to its third NCAA Semi-final appearance, including making back-to-back bids in 2008 and 2009. The Jumbos improve to 17-2 on the year and will face DePauw in the national semifinals next Saturday in Geneva, NY.
The Polar Bears finish their season with a record of 16-4 and, for just the second time in the last eight years, will miss out on the Division III Final Four.
Tufts had the first great chance 10 minutes in, as a penalty corner resulted in a bouncing ball to the right side of the cage. Lia Sagerman (LaJolla, CA) put a stick on it, but the ball caromed off the post out of bounds.
Bowdoin rebounded with a push downfield, earning a penalty corner of their own. A scramble in front came to Katie Riley on the left side of the net. Riley lifted the ball to Lauren Schroeder on the back post, who knocked it home for a 1-0 lead at 10:27.
Tufts had a sustained possession with about 10 minutes remaining and had a pair of nice chances that were both kick-saved by Kayla Lessard to maintain the one-goal edge. Bowdoin pushed downfield with under three minutes left in the period and were awarded a penalty stroke with 2:30 left on a transition play. But Brianna Keenan (Greenland, NH) made a diving stick save on the stroke attempt to keep it a one-goal deficit at intermission.
The teams traded possession to open the second half before Bowdoin garnered a great chance off a penalty corner with 23 minutes remaining. Brooke Phinney's initial shot was blocked, but her rebound attempt slipped through the Tufts defense. Rachel Gerhardt (Worcester, MA) came to the rescue for the Jumbos, swatting the ball off the goal line to keep it 1-0 Polar Bears.
Moments later, Gerhardt came up big again, ripping a shot from the right side of the circle that Chelsea Yogerst (San Diego, CA) redirected in front to deadlock the score with 19:52 remaining. Tufts took the lead ten minutes later, as a hard shot from Gerhardt off a corner was saved by Lessard. The ball came out to the middle of the circle where Dakota Sikes-Keilp (Montclair, NJ) slipped a turn-around shot that was tipped inside the right post by Sagerman with 8:30 remaining.
Bowdoin had two penalty corners in the closing moments, including one with no time remaining, but could not covert as the Jumbos held on to the win.
Lessard made six saves for Bowdoin, who were out-shot 11-9 by the Jumbos. Keenan made two saves for the Jumbos. The final penalty corner count was 8-6 in favor of Bowdoin.
The Jumbos have a 1-2 record at the NCAA "final four." In 2008, they defeated Messiah 5-2 in the semis to advance to the championship game. They lost to Bowdoin 3-2 in double overtime in the '08 NCAA final. In 2009, Tufts fell 1-0 to Salisbury in the national semis.
Tufts had lost its last five post-season games against the Polar Bears dating back to 2000 before today. They will face the 21-1 DePauw Tigers, who upset NESCAC champion and national #1 seed Middlebury in the NCAA Third Round on Sunday, 2-1 in overtime. After capturing the 2012 North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament championship, the DePauw field hockey squad earned its first berth into the NCAA Division III Championship since 1999.
Mary Washington (20-1) will play Montclair State (21-1) in the other NCAA semi-final at William Smith on Saturday (Nov. 17) at 2 pm. The semi-final winners will play for the NCAA title on Sunday at 1 pm.
Game boxscore
2012 Tufts Field Hockey - NCAA Regional Champions
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Game recap courtesy of Bowdoin College
