Solid Team Effort Pushes Tribe Past Northeastern

Freshman Jenna Cinalli scored her first career game-winner for W&M.

09/21/07 10:15PM

Williamsburg - Behind a boisterous Tribe crowd, the William and Mary field hockey program turned in a solid team effort on its way to a 1-0 CAA-opening victory over Northeastern at Busch Field on Friday evening. The freshman duo of Rebecca Wagner and Jenna Cinalli hooked up for the lone score on the night, and a stout Tribe defense made the tally stand for the victory. W&M improved to 5-3 on the season, while Northeastern fell to 3-5.

“We really tried to prepare for this game more carefully,” head coach Peel Hawthorne said. “We knew Northeastern was a well-coached team with a tremendous amount of talent. They pushed us, but I am proud of the way our team played tonight. Gwen (Hunter) did not make an error, and the defense as a whole made very few. This was an important win for us not only in the conference but in the region as well. Northeastern nipped us a few times last year, so it was nice to put together a win here on our home field.”

Despite numerous threatening counter chances throughout the first half, Northeastern held W&M at bay through the opening 30 minutes of the contest. The Tribe would find the scoring column first, though, cashing in its second penalty corner over a two-minute span toward the latter stages of the first half.

The second corner made its way around to senior midfielder Jes Kacerek, who sent a shot on goal from the right side. Northeastern goalkeeper Liz Centofanti blocked the ball, before having to make another save seconds later as junior forward Lauren Giles pounced on the rebound and sent it back toward the cage. The third rebound in the sequence fell to Wagner, who corralled it and swept the ball to a wide-open Cinalli on the back post. The Fredericksburg, Va., native finished to the center of the cage for her third goal of the season. It proved to be her first career game-winner and was the first assist of Wagner’s W&M career.

Northeastern had a pair of scoring opportunities snuffed out by Hunter. In the sixth minute of play, NU’s Ashley Webber drove the end line along the right side of the field, before sending a pass to the middle of the scoring area. Harriet Hoyer received the pass and flicked a shot on goal that was blocked by Hunter.

In the 12th minute of play, Hunter came up with diving save to deny a Husky penalty corner chance. Following a stick stop from Ashley D’Ambra, Ashley Bascetta ripped a shot toward the left post from the top of the area, but Hunter blocked the attempt. NU garnered two more penalty corners in succession, but could not find the mark on either opportunity.

Just over a minute into the second period, Hunter came up with another huge save on an impressive looking Northeastern penalty corner. Off the corner, D’Ambra lifted a shot toward the near post from the left side of the circle, but Hunter made the stop, diving to her right to block the ball wide of the cage.

In the 42nd minute of play, the Huskies generated another penalty corner chance. D’Ambra flicked the stick stop to Bascetta along the left side of the area, but Hunter again made the sprawling save to deny Bascetta scoring attempt.

It looked as though the Tribe had extended its lead to 2-0 with just over 20 minutes remaining, but the goal was called back. Off a penalty corner, senior forward Kim Hedley sent a ball across the area that was tipped in by sophomore Wesley Drew on the left side of the crease. As the Tribe began to celebrate, the referee ruled the ball hit the wrong side of Drew’s stick, nullifying the W&M goal.

Over the final minutes of the contest, Hunter and the Tribe defense were able to hold off Northeastern. With nearly nine minutes on the clock, Hunter came out to stymie an NU chance. As Webber broke free of the W&M defense along the left side, Hunter emerged from the cage to knocked the ball away and spoil the opportunity. The Huskies had one final chance generating a penalty corner with just over a minute remaining, but could not muster a shot in the waning moments.

“Tonight was a great team effort,” Hawthorne said. “Katie Broaddus was an absolute rock in the back. We had some freshmen step up where we needed them. Lauren Giles played very well, and our bench did a super job. One of our senior captains Jes Kacerek said coming off the field that there were five or six MVPs tonight, and she was right.”

Hunter finished with six saves in goal for the Tribe to post the shutout. It marked the 11 shutout of the Seaville, N.J., native’s W&M career, moving her into a tie for fifth on the Tribe’s all-time list.

The College will return to action on Sunday, Sept. 23, when it hosts NorPac foe Radford. The game is slated for a 1 p.m. start at Busch Field. Last season, W&M defeated the Highlanders, 2-0, in Williamsburg on goals from senior Laura Kastelic and sophomore Wesley Drew.

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