Woods Makes 10 Saves in America East Quarterfinal Loss to Cal, 2-1

Thursday, November 4

Orono, ME

12 PM

University of New Hampshire

(7-11)

Cal

(9-6)

New Hampshire

California

Woods Makes 10 Saves in America East Quarterfinal Loss to Cal, 2-1

11/4/2021 3:47:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

ORONO, Maine – Junior goalkeeper Jemma Woods (Frimley, England) made 10 saves, but the University of New Hampshire field hockey team was ousted from the America East Championships with Thursday afternoon's 2-1 quarterfinal loss to Cal at the UMaine Field Hockey Complex.

Woods made six of her 10 saves in the fourth quarter. Classmate Ava Mariani (Easton, Pa.) scored UNH's goal, which tied the score 1-1 in the 37^th minute.

Cal's Megan Connors scored the game's first goal and Brynn Zorilla scored on a penalty stroke with 3:05 remaining to break the tie. Cato Knipping was credited with six saves.

UNH, the tourney No. 5 seed with a 3-5 conference record, ends the season with a 7-12 overall record. Cal, the No. 4 seed at 5-3, improves to 10-6 and advances to play top-seeded Maine in Thursday's semifinal.

PHOTO GALLERY
FH_AE quarterfinal scoreboard vs Cal

FIRST QUARTER

Both the shots (4-4) and penalty corners (1-1) were even in the opening 15 minutes.
UNH generated pressure early and shots by Mariani and senior Tia Raspante (Sandwich, Mass.) tested Knipping in the second minute.
Cal earned a corner in the sixth minute, which produced shots by Jane Onners and Monica Arteaga – both of which were stopped by Woods.
The Golden Bears took a 1-0 lead on Connors' goal at 7:21.
In the 13^th minute, a bouncing centering pass from senior captain Tori Palumbo (Ayer, Mass.) was tipped in the middle of the circle by sophomore Lily Rothwell (Lynnfield, Mass.) just wide of the left post.

SECOND QUARTER

UNH recorded a 4-1 shot advantage and neither team had a corner in the second quarter.
In the closing seconds, junior Lindsay Lee (Eindhoven, Netherlands) inserted a centering pass from the left wing that Raspante redirected on cage, but Knipping was in position for the save.

THIRD QUARTER

The shots were once again even (3-3) in the third quarter.
The Wildcats earned a corner in the opening minute of the second half, and the direct shot from the top of the circle by senior captain Bloem van den Brekel (Eindhoven, Netherlands) was blocked by a Cal defender.
Mariani scored her fourth goal of the season to tie the score, 1-1, at 36:47. On a restart outside the top-right of the circle, senior captain Isabelle Danahy (Chelmsford, Mass.) dribbled toward the end line and slipped a centering pass back to Mariani, who slapped a low shot inside the right post.
Neither team recorded a shot the rest of the quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER

Cal generated a 9-2 shot advantage in the fourth quarter.
In the 50^th minute, the 'Cats earned their second corner of the quarter, and this time van den Brekel's direct shot was stopped by Knipping.
Cal responded immediately with a series of four shots in the 51^st minute, but all four were stopped by Woods.
Woods made the save of the game when she denied Rachel Buttiner on a breakaway in the 54^th minute.
The Golden Bears were awarded a penalty corner in the 57^th minute. Woods correctly anticipated a shot to her left, but Zorilla placed it perfectly inside the post to give Cal a 2-1 lead at 56:55.
UNH generated a corner with 80 seconds remaining, but it did not lead to a shot.
In the closing seconds, the Wildcats quickly advanced the ball the length of the field. The 'Cats were quickly stopped at the top of the circle, however, and the waning seconds expired with the ball in the left corner.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Cal finished with a 17-13 shot advantage that included 12-7 on goal.
UNH had a 6-3 edge in penalty corners.
van den Brekel led all Wildcats and tied for the game high with four shots.

UNH NOTEBOOK

This was UNH's 14^th appearance in the past 15 years of the America East Championships.
Woods finished with 10+ saves for the fifth time this season. She recorded a career-high 15 saves in the regular-season finale vs. Maine.
Danahy ends the season with seven assists, which ranks second on the team.
One day prior to the start of the tourney, van den Brekel was named the America East Defensive Player of the Year; she was also voted to the All-Conference First Team.
Lee was an All-Conference Second Team honoree.
Freshman Ella Pratt (Greenwood Village, Colo.) was selected to the All-Rookie Team.
The end of the 2021 season marks the end of UNH Wildcat careers for seniors Finn Caron (Hampton, N.H.), Danahy, Christina Hathaway (Norfolk, Mass.), Palumbo, Raspante and van den Brekel.

SERIES NOTEBOOK

Cal has a 6-4 edge in the all-time series and the Golden Bears have won each of the last four matchups.
Cal is 2-1 vs. UNH in America East postseason play. The Golden Bears prevailed 2-1 in the 2019 quarterfinals (at Monmouth), whereas New Hampshire won 3-2 in overtime in the '17 quarters (at UMass Lowell).