van den Brekel's Goal Lifts 'Cats Past Bryant, 2-1, in Double OT

Friday, September 17

Providence College

5 PM

University of New Hampshire

(3-4)

Bryant

(0-8)

New Hampshire

Bryant

Photo by: Michelle Bronner

van den Brekel's Goal Lifts 'Cats Past Bryant, 2-1, in Double OT

9/17/2021 8:39:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Senior captain Bloem van den Brekel (Eindhoven, Netherlands) scored the game-winning goal in double overtime to lead the University of New Hampshire field hockey team to Friday evening's 2-1 victory against Bryant University at Lennon Family Field (Providence College).

van den Brekel scored with 4:48 remaining in the second 10-minute extra session to end the game. Junior Jaiden Wittel (Stroudsburg, Pa.) had tied the score, 1-1, with 2:38 left in regulation.

Junior goalkeeper Jemma Woods (Frimley, England) was credited with three saves, including one in the second OT.

Bryant goalie Marijn Jaarsma finished with 20 saves, while Brittany Gouws had a pair of defensive saves and Ellie Morrison had one. Taryn Rauff scored the Bulldogs' goal.

UNH ends its season-opening stretch of six consecutive games away from home with a 2-4 record. Bryant is 0-7.

"We controlled play a lot, had tons of opportunities and their goalkeeper played great," UNH head coach Robin Balducci said. "We had to play a little catchup, so that challenged us but I'm happy we finished it off with a lot of pressure in overtime. Overall a great performance in that we were pressuring and pressuring."

FH_09.17.21 at Bryant_scoreboard graphic

LOOKING AHEAD

The Wildcats return to action Sunday, Sept. 19 for their home opener against third-ranked Boston College. Game time is 12 p.m. at Memorial Field.

FIRST QUARTER

UNH recorded a 6-0 shot advantage, including 5-0 on goal, in the opening 15 minutes.
The 'Cats pressured early and often as the first shot of the game by van den Brekel at 1:23 went wide of the cage.
Senior Tia Raspante (Sandwich, Mass.) was denied by Jaarsma in both the third and fourth minutes, and then van den Brekel and sophomore Lindsay Lee (Eindhoven, Netherlands) were turned away by Jaarsma moments later.

SECOND QUARTER

New Hampshire had a 6-1 shot advantage (4-1 on goal) and the corners were 2-0 in favor of Bryant in the second quarter.
In the 19th minute, Woods made a diving stop to deny Rauff's centering pass from the left side, and then Woods' blocker swept the ball out of the circle.
One minute later, Woods was already lying on the turf and extended to knock the ball away and negate another Bulldogs' scoring threat.
With one minute left in the half, senior captain Tori Palumbo (Ayer, Mass.) pulled the ball toward the right post, but Jaarsma shadowed her and forced the shot wide.
In the closing seconds, Lee's long entry was stopped by junior Ava Mariani (Easton, Pa.) in the middle of the circle but Jaarsma, who was off the line, made the save. Lee corralled the rebound at the top of the circle and her rising shot sailed over the crossbar.

THIRD QUARTER

UNH generated an 8-1 shot advantage (8-1 on goal) and 4-1 edge in corners in the third quarter, but it was the home team that took the 1-0 lead.
Early pressure by Mariani along the right end line and her centering pass behind the goalie across the goal mouth found senior Finn Caron (Hampton, N.H.), but Gouws made the defensive save.
Caron was denied again, this time by Jaarsma, in the 33rd minute.
One minute later, the 'Cats earned a corner that produced shots by van den Brekel and fellow senior captain Isabelle Danahy (Chelmsford), both of which were saved by Jaarsma.
On UNH's next corner in the 37th minute, van den Brekel's reverse stick from top of the circle was kicked away by the goalie.
New Hampshire continued to pressure and earned another corner. van den Brekel's shot toward the right post was blocked by Morrison for a defensive save. The rebound went to the middle of the circle, where Raspante's shot was stopped by Jaarsma.
Bryant generated a corner in the 39th minute and the initial shot was a misfire that was cleared from the middle of the circle. Rauff kept the ball inside the top-right side, however, and her rising blast went into the top-right corner to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead at 38:33.
The 'Cats were awarded another corner in the 40th minute, and that produced Mariani's shot that was also saved by Jaarsma.

FOURTH QUARTER

UNH had the advantage in both shots (6-1; 4-1 on goal) and corners (4-0) in the last 15 minutes of regulation.
In the 55th minute, van den Brekel settled the ball at the top of the circle and her shot bounced wide of the left post.
The Wildcats' sustained pressure, which led to another corner. van den Brekel maneuvered from the top to the middle of the circle, and her shot was stopped by Jaarsma's left leg pad. That resulted in another corner, and this time van den Brekel's direct shot was stopped by Jaarsma.
UNH earned another corner with 2:50 on the clock, and the initial shot from the middle of the circle by junior Molly McAteer (Annapolis, Md.) was saved, but the rebound ricocheted to the left to Wittel and she lifted ball into the open near side of the cage to tie the score, 1-1, at 57:22.
Neither team recorded a shot the final 2:38 of regulation.

FIRST OVERTIME

UNH recorded a 5-0 shot advantage (2-0 on goal) with a 2-0 corners edge in the first 10-minute OT period.
Four minutes into the extra session, a long entry pass to the middle of the circle was tipped over the crossbar by Mariani.
In the 66th minute, UNH was awarded a corner. Lee made the insert to Danahy, and then van den Brekel pulled the ball to the right before firing a low, hard blast that was kicked over the cage by Jaarsma.
On the restart, the 'Cats earned another corner. van den Brekel once again dribbled to the right, and this time her low blast rolled wide of the near post.
Neither team tallied a shot the last four minutes of the first OT period.

SECOND OVERTIME

Thirty seconds into the second extra period, Rauff's high-bouncing shot from top of the circle was stopped by Woods' blocker to extend the game.
In the 73rd minute, Lee inserted a short corner to van den Brekel and Gouws made her second defensive save of the game to keep the score tied 1-1.
In the 75th minute, Mariani's crossing pass from left post eluded Caron's stick and rolled out of play.
UNH converted its 12th corner into the game-winning goal, The battery of Lee and Danahy set up van den Brekel's direct shot from the top of the circle that went low into the middle of the cage to end the game at 75:12.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

New Hampshire finished with a 34-4 shot advantage, including 25-4 on goal, as well as a 12-3 edge in penalty corners.
van den Brekel recorded 15 shots, 12 of which were on goal.
Mariani was next with five shots (two on goal).
Rauff accounted for all four of Bryant's shots.

UNH NOTEBOOK

van den Brekel ranks second on the team with two goals this season.
She is the active leader in goals (22), assists (16) and points (60).
Wittel scored a goal for the second consecutive game and third time in four games. She leads UNH in both goals (three) and points (seven) this season, and has scored her three goals on just three shots.
UNH was 0-1 in games decided by overtime last season. The Wildcats also lost an overtime shootout game in 2019; prior to that, the 'Cats had a pair of wins in double OT.

SERIES NOTEBOOK