UTICA, N.Y. – Endicott and Utica were dead-even in chances and locked in a scoreless tie at half-time of their NCAA field hockey tournament first round game on Wednesday evening. The Pioneers, however, scored four times in the second half and emerged with a 4-1 victory, ending one of the most successful seasons for the Gulls, who finish with a record of 15-5 and second consecutive Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) championship.
Endicott senior Hannah Thornberg (Oakland, Maine) scored her team-high 22nd goal of the year at the hour mark, but it wasn't enough for the Gulls, who fall in the NCAA first round for the second consecutive year.
Sophomores Louise Steele-Norton (Avondale, Pa.) and Hannah Mackey (Locke, N.Y.), the Pioneer's two top scorers, each tallied twice in the second half, in which the hosts outshot the Gulls 9-3.
Gull's senior goalie Taylor Teixeira (Exeter, N.H.) made nine saves in her final game wearing the Blue and Green. She kept the Gulls in the contest with six stops in the first half, including several pad saves on point-blank Pioneer shots.
Mackey gave the Pioneers the lead just a few minutes into the second half with her 15th goal of the year. She finished a pass from Steele-Norton, who grabbed her second assist of the season. Steele-Norton set the Empire 8 goals record just a few minutes later when she picked up her own rebound twice and then tipped in past Teixeira for her 25th marker of the year.
Mackey increased the Utica lead to 3-0 in the 47th minute on an unassisted back-hand goal that beat Teixeira after she had stick-handled into the box.
Steele-Norton completed her own double in the 58th minute when she tipped home a shot from junior Ally Sanders (Endicott, N.Y.), who picked up her second assist of the year.
Thornberg put in a rebound from classmate Taylor Matties (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) to stop the shutout for Utica and freshman goalie Kells Casey (Sandwich, Mass.). Matties earned her fourth assist of the season.
Chances were even in the first half for both teams, as Utica held a slim edge in shots (8-6) and penalty corners (5-4). Teixeira made two early saves in the first five minutes, one by Mackey and one by Utica sophomore Alaina Stojkovski (Liverpool, N.Y.).
The Gulls won two consecutive corners with 21 minutes left in the first half and got their first scoring opportunity when Thornberg snapped a shot from the left side, but it was kicked away by Casey.
Stojkovski and Endicott sophomore Kathryn Walker (Middlebury, Conn.) traded chances with 18 minutes left in the first half, with each ripping shots at the opposing goalie but having their efforts stopped with brilliant pad saves. Wells came up big again for Utica on an Endicott corner, stopping efforts from Emily Sawchuck (Cumberland, Maine) and a rebound attempt by Walker.
Sophomore Elizabeth LeClair (Wilton, Maine) had a shot turned away in the first half as well.
With nine minutes left Mackey was in on goal for the Pioneers, but teed up her shot and fired it over the top bar.
Mackey had another opportunity with just under two minutes left in the first half, but sent a back-hand shot just wide of the Endicott cage.
Teixeira made five stops in the first half, while Casey had six saves in the first half and seven in the game.
Thornberg ends her Endicott career as the all-time leading scorer and with the record for goals and points in a season, which she set this year. She graduates with a senior class that won two conference champions and includes Teixeira, Matties, Melissa Enright (York Beach, Maine) and Cassie DeSimone (Reading, Mass.).
Utica (15-5) will move on to the second round of the NCAA tournament, where they will face DePauw University at Middlebury College on Saturday afternoon.
