Simmons Claims Inaugural GNAC Field Hockey Championship, Defeats Anna Maria, 3-1
Freshman Julie Saltamartini scored twice as the Sharks took down the AMCATS, 3-1, Saturday in the GNAC title contest.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Courtesy of Simmons Athletics Communications
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. – Freshman forward Julie Saltamartini (East Hampstead, N.H.) scored twice to lead second-seeded Simmons College over fourth-seeded Anna Maria College, 3-1, Saturday evening to capture the inaugural Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Field Hockey Championship on Swenson Field in Bridgewater, Mass.
The Sharks have now won nine of their last 10 matches and improve to 13-5 on the season.
Simmons earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with the victory and will await the announcement of the NCAA Tournament bracket on Monday, November 10 at 9:00 a.m. to find out the next opponent. The AMCATS fall to 13-9 on the season.
The conference crown and the NCAA Tournament bid are the first in school history for the Sharks' field hockey program.
Simmons owned a 17-9 shot advantage in Saturday's contest, including 11-4 in the first half, and registered seven penalty corners to Anna Maria's two. The Sharks scored all three of their markers in a 13-minute span during the first half.
Saltamartini cracked the scoring column for Simmons at the 11:13 mark when sophomore midfielder Amy Wilson (Falmouth, Mass.) found her in the left slot, where Saltamartini scored in a scrum in front of the cage.
The Sharks increased their lead under seven minutes later when senior forward Kelly Williamson (Natick, Mass.) received a cross in the left slot from first year forward Samantha Rondeau (Franklin, Mass.) and converted a shot in traffic for her 11th goal of the year and a 2-0 lead.
The Sharks added an insurance goal just over six minutes later when sophomore forward Jenna Gagnon (Waterville, Maine) carried the ball down the right side and sent a centering pass in stride to Saltamartini, who potted her team-high 15th goal of the season at 24:10 to make it 3-0. It was the last tally of the first half as Simmons took a 3-0 lead into the intermission.
Anna Maria got on the board with the second stanza's only goal coming a little under midway into the half. Junior forward Kylie Dalbec (Portland, Maine) found sophomore midfielder Kaitlyn Moran (Leicester, Mass.) in front of the cage for her fifth goal of the season at the 49:56 mark. Neither team was able to score for the remainder of the contest as the Sharks came away with the victory.
Dalbec (1-1--3) and Moran (2-1--5) joined senior forward Nichole Lowe (Saugus, Mass.) on the All-Tournament team, along with Shannon Yoder (6 SV, .500 SV%) and Shaina Thompson of Johnson & Wales University and Kelsey Dumond and Theresa Hendrix of Saint Joseph's College of Maine. Senior back Avery Hines (Newburyport, Mass.), Williamson (1-0-2), Saltamartini (3-0-6) and sophomore keeper Brianna Rastello (Salem, N.H.) (9 SV, .750 SV%) were selected to the team from Simmons. Gagnon (2-1-5) was named the Tournament Most Valuable Player.
All-Tournament Team
Kylie Dalbec, Anna Maria
Nichole Lowe, Anna Maria
Kaitlyn Moran, Anna Maria
Shaina Thompson, Johnson & Wales
Shannon Yoder, Johnson & Wales
Kelsey Dumond, Saint Joseph's (ME)
Theresa Hendrix, Saint Joseph's (ME)
Jenna Gagnon, Simmons
Avery Hines, Simmons
Brianna Rastello, Simmons
Julie Saltamartini, Simmons
Kelly Williamson, Simmons
Tournament MVP - Jenna Gagnon, Simmons
First Round - Saturday, November 1 | RECAP
Game 1: #4 Anna Maria 3, #5 Lasell 0 | BOX
Game 2: #3 Johnson & Wales 2, #6 Rivier 1 | BOX
Semifinals - Wednesday, November 5 | RECAP
Game 3: #4 Anna Maria 1, #1 Saint Joseph's (ME) 0 | BOX
Game 4*: #2 Simmons 5, #3 Johnson & Wales 2 | BOX
Championship - Saturday, November 8
Game 5*: #2 Simmons 3, #4 Anna Maria 1 | BOX
* - at Swenson Field, Bridgewater State University
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