Last minute goal lifts TCNJ over Cortland in second round of NCAA field hockey tournament
Courtesy of Cortland Sports Information Department
EWING, N.J. - Cayla Andrews scored with 45 seconds left in regulation to lift nationally fourth-ranked The College of New Jersey past 16th-ranked Cortland, 2-1, in the second round of the NCAA Division III field hockey tournament at TCNJ.
Cortland, making its first NCAA appearance since 2011, ends the season 18-4 and finishes tied for ninth in the national tournament. The Lions (16-3) advance to the national quarterfinals on Sunday at home versus either MIT or Centre College.
Cortland kept the game tied at 1-1 when Meg Redmond (Accord/Rondout Valley) made a defensive save with 1:05 remaining, but just 20 seconds later Sidney Padilla sent a long crossing pass from the right side that Andrews one-timed from about 15 yards away into the right side of the cage for the game winner.
The teams played a scoreless first half, but TCNJ struck 6:01 into the second on a goal by Elizabeth Morrison. Cortland had a great scoring chance denied with 17:38 left when TCNJ defender Kayla Peterson turned away a shot by Jess Gibaldi (Westbury/W.T. Clarke) at the goal line.
Cortland, however, tallied the equalizer with 12:27 left. On a penalty corner play, Jessica Welsh (Hamilton) controlled the ball, made an initial move to avoid a defender and scored from straight on for her 15th goal of the season. The Red Dragons got one more shot on goal, but a shot by Gibaldi was saved with 7:55 left.
Cortland goalie Kailynne Reinoehl (Lititz, PA/Warwick) finished with six saves and TCNJ netminder Christina Fabiano recorded four saves. TCNJ outshot Cortland, 17-9, and each team earned seven penalty corners.
Cortland and TCNJ were meeting in the NCAA tournament for the fourth time, with all four games decided by one goal. TCNJ won 1-0 in overtime in the 1996 semifinals and, as Trenton State, won 2-1 in the 1989 semifinals. Cortland defeated Trenton, 2-1, in the 1994 national championship game.
TCNJ will host Centre, who defeated MIT, 2-1, tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. Click here to view the live 2017 NCAA DIII field hockey bracket.
