3-1 Victory Against Vermont Secures America East Playoff Berth

Friday, October 21

Durham, NH

3 PM

University of New Hampshire

(5-10,1-4AE)

University of Vermont

(7-9, 2-4AE)

Vermont

New Hampshire

Photo by: Audrey Powell

3-1 Victory Against Vermont Secures America East Playoff Berth

10/21/2016 5:30:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score Highlights

Mendonca Leads Rally With Goal, Assist

DURHAM, N.H. – Ashley Mendonca (Brampton, Ontario) recorded a goal and an assist to lead the University of New Hampshire field hockey team to Friday afternoon's 3-1 victory against the University of Vermont at Memorial Field.

UNH clinched a berth in the America East Championship tournament with the victory. The Wildcats, who have won 11 in a row against UVM, is now 5-10 overall and 3-3 in the conference. Vermont, which lost by the same score to New Hampshire on its home field earlier this month, is 7-9, 0-5.

GAME INFO
Date: October 21, 2016
Location: Memorial Field (Durham, N.H.)
Attendance: 152
Score: UNH 3, Vermont 1
Updated Records: UNH (5-10, 3-3 America East), Vermont (7-9, 0-5 America East)

NEXT GAME: Sunday, Oct. 23 vs. Umass Lowell, 1 pm at Memorial Field

The Difference

UNH converted three of its five second-half corners into goals to overcome a 1-0 halftime deficit.
Game Recap

New Hampshire dominated the opening 20 minutes of play to generate a 5-0 shot advantage.
Vermont scored on its first shot of the game to take a 1-0 lead at 21:42. UNH goalkeeper Kelsey Rudert (North Grafton, N.Y.) came off the goal line to make a sliding tackle, but Isabella Sericolo corralled the ball on the right side and deposited a shot into the open near-side of the cage.
UVM led by one goal at halftime despite the Wildcats' edge in shots (14-2) and corners (3-1).
New Hampshire struck three times in the opening 10 minutes of the second half to quickly transform a one-goal deficit into a two-goal lead.
Kayla Sliz (Ajax, Ontario) scored her second goal of the season to tie the score, 1-1, at 36:50. On a corner, the initial shot by Lindsey Nerbonne (Bow, N.H.) was stopped by UVM goalie Lena Benwood. Jessica Schmidt (Warrington, Pa.) collected the rebound at the top of the circle and sent the ball back toward the cage and Sliz, positioned in the middle, tapped a shot into the cage.
Mendonca, the reigning America East Player of the Week, extended blasted a low, direct shot inside the right post to give UNH a 2-1 lead at 42:57. The battery of insert Katie Audino (Severn, Md.) and stick-stop Gianna Bensaia (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) set up the tally.
The Wildcats converted another corner into a goal and 3-1 lead less than two minutes later. Mendonca, instead of taking the direct shot, rolled a pass to the left side and Nerbonne fired a one-timer inside the left post at 44:25.
UVM recorded a 7-4 shot advantage the rest of the way but could not reduce the deficit.
Rudert finished with one save and, at the other end of the field, Benwood stopped 10 shots.
UNH NOTEBOOK

New Hampshire has won back-to-back games for the first time this season. The Wildcats had defeated 17^th-ranked Albany, 2-1, on the road last Sunday.
'CAT NIPS

Bensaia extended her assist streak to four games and moved into UNH's single-season superlatives with her 13^th of the season (six the past four games). She is tied at No. 5 with Hayley Rausch (2010) and Cyndi Caldwell (1986).
Nerbonne is now alone at No. 9 on the program's career goals leaderboard with 34. She had been tied with Marcie Boyer (1999-2002) and Pauline Collins (1983-86) with 33.
Mendonca extended her goal streak to four games and she has five tallies in that span. She has a team-high 11 goals and 23 points this season.
SHOTS: UNH 14-9–23. UVM 2-7–9.

PENALTY CORNERS: UNH 3-5–8. UVM 1-0–1.

GOALS
UNH (3): Ashley Mendonca, Lindsey Nerbonne, Kayla Sliz
UVM (1): Isabella Sericolo

ASSISTS
UNH (4): Katie Audino, Gianna Bensaia, Ashley Mendonca, Jessica Schmidt
Albany (0)

SAVES
UNH: Kelsey Rudert 0-1–1 (70:00; 1 GA)
UVM: Lena Benwood 7-3–10 (70:00; 3 GA)

DEFENSIVE SAVES
UNH (0)
UVM (0)