FIELD HOCKEY TEAM STOPS TEMPLE ON SENIOR DAY, 2-1
PHILADELPHIA (11/02/02) - Saint Joseph's University senior Kathy Sokalski slammed home a pass from fellow senior Aly Dankovitch 7:08 into overtime to lift the Crimson and Gray to a 2-1 victory over Temple on Finnesey Field. The win served a perfect ending for the surging Hawks, who celebrated Senior Day by closing out the regular season with their third straight win.
The victory nudged SJU over the .500 mark for the season at 9-8 (3-3 A-10). TU, meanwhile slipped to 9-9 (2-3 A-10). The Hawks now must wait for the results of Monday's Temple - West Chester game before knowing their postseason fate.
A crisp fall day on the Finnesey turf, SJU seized the early lead when junior Kristin Teklinsky blasted home a pass from junior Amie Schmoltze on a penalty corner 16:17 into the contest.
The match would go to intermission with the Hawks on top, but Temple would begin to claim a territorial advantage in the second stanza. The finish was in sight for SJU, when a Temple forward snuck behind the Hawk defense and charged toward the goal on a breakaway. Several Hawk defenders gained ground, eventually disrupting a TU shot attempt, but earning a penalty stroke for the Owls. Temple senior Melissa DeCesaris tucked the stroke into the lower left corner of the cage to tie the game with just 2:04 left in regulation.
Temple controled action early in the extra session, but Dankovitch played the ball into the middle of the circle to Sokalski, who spun and slammed the ball into the cage.
Junior Courtney Huff earned the win in goal for the Hawks, while TU sophomore Erin Conroy suffered the loss. Both turned aside six shots.
Temple outshot the Hawks 10-9 and held an 11-4 advantage in penalty corners.
SJU honored Dankovitch and Sokalski, along with fellow seniors Kelly Butler, Brett Dymarczyk and Natsha Pronga in pregame ceremonies. The team also recognized head coach Joan Broderick, who will be retiring after the season. Pronga, who has started every game of her SJU career, made her school record 74th consecutive start.
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