Audino Scores OT Goal, Lifts 'Cats Past Albany, 2-1, Into Title Game

Saturday, November 4

Lowell, Mass.

12 PM

University of New Hampshire

(9-11)

University at Albany

(12-7)

OT 2

New Hampshire

UAlbany

Photo by: Vincent Dejana

Audino Scores OT Goal, Lifts 'Cats Past Albany, 2-1, Into Title Game

11/4/2017 3:56:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

LOWELL, Mass. – Katie Audino (Severn, Md.) scored with 58 seconds remaining in the first overtime session to lift the University of New Hampshire field hockey team to a 2-1 victory against 20^th-ranked University at Albany in Saturday afternoon's America East semifinal at UMass Lowell's Cushing Field.

UNH, the East Division #3 seed, improves to 9-11 overall and advances to play No. 18 Stanford University in the Nov. 5 title game; the Cardinal defeated University of the Pacific, 3-2 in OT, in Saturday's second semifnal. Start time at Cushing Field is 1 p.m.

Albany, which was the East #1 seed, is now 12-7.

Kayla Sliz (Ajax, Ontario) scored UNH's other goal and Ashley Mendonca (Brampton, Ontario) recorded her third assist of the tourney on Sliz's tally.

Kelsey Rudert (North Grafton, Mass.) recorded nine saves and UAlbany counterpart Melissa Nealon was credited with three saves, all in the second half.

GAME INFORMATION
Event: America East Championship, semifinal
Date: Saturday, Nov. 4 (12 p.m. start)
Place: Wicked Blue Field (Lowell, Mass.)
Attendance: 232
Score: New Hampshire 2, UAlbany 1 [overtime]
Updated Records: UNH (9-11)… UAlbany (12-7)

GAME RECAP

New Hampshire took a 1-0 lead at 7:23 when Mendonca's entry pass from outside the top-left of the circle was tipped in front by Sliz. Gianna Bensaia (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) initiated the scoring sequence with a pass from the center of the 25 to Mendonca on the left wing.
The Great Danes tied the score, 1-1, at 29:42. Katie MacCallum corralled a loose ball at the top of the circle and advanced to the center before firing a reverse-stick into the left side of the cage.
The teams entered halftime tied 1-1 with UAlbany holding an 8-1 shot advantage and 6-0 edge in penalty corners.
In the 50^th minute, Bloem van den Brekel (Eindhoven, Netherlands) led a quick counterattack and slipped a pass to Taylor Scafidi (Waltham, Mass.) at the top of the circle. Nealon was already charging from the goal line and made the save, but yielded a corner in the process.
On the ensuing corner, Nicky Bajus (Lions Bay, British Columbia) fired a direct shot that was blocked by Nealon, who also denied Scafidi's shot off the rebound.
Rudert made a big save 10 minutes later when Anna Bottino, from the right side, backhanded a low drive toward the far post that Rudert kicked away with her right leg pad.
Moments later, Rudert kept the score tied at 1-1 by turning aside MacCallum's redirection from close range.
UAlbany called time out with 2:18 remaining in regulation and generated a timeout with 1:30 on the clock, but Dana Bozek's shot from the left side went wide of the near post.
In the closing minute of the first overtime session, Audino corralled a loose ball at the top of the circle and, with Nealon retreating from the middle of the circle, blasted a low drive that went between the goalie's legs and inside the right post for her team-leading 10^th goal of the season at 84:02.

UNH NOTEBOOK

New Hampshire is making its first title game appearance since 2014. The Wildcats have won four titles – most recent in '13 – and finished as runner-up seven times.
UNH is 3-0 at Cushing Field this season and all three wins have been in overtime.
The Wildcats have three wins against nationally-ranked teams this season.
UNH has a 5-2 record in overtime this season, including 5-0 in games decided in the first OT session.
The 'Cats are 3-0 in neutral-site games.
Seven of the last eight games have been decided by one goal with four consecutive wins in one-goal games (4-3 record during this stretch).
Mendonca has three assists in the America East Championship tourney. She recorded two assists in the quarterfinal win vs. Cal and another in the semifinal vs. UAlbany.
It was the third goal of the season for Sliz.

SHOTS: UNH 1-3-2—6. UAlbany 8-9-0—17.

PENALTY CORNERS: UNH 0-2-1—3. UAlbany 6-3-0—9.

GOALS
UNH (2): Katie Audino, Kayla Sliz
UAlbany (1):Katie MacCallum

ASSISTS
UNH (1): Ashley Mendonca
UAlbany (0)

SAVES
UNH: Kelsey Rudert 4-5-0—9 (84:02... 1 GA) [WIN]
UAlbany: Melissa Nealon 0-3-0—3 (84:02 … 2 GA) [loss]

DEFENSIVE SAVES
UNH (0)
UAlbany (0)