SJU Athletics Photos

PHILADELPHIA (9/14/03) - Training 3-1 at intermission, the Saint Joseph's field hockey team (3-1) erupted for four second half goals, including a hat trick by freshman Nicole Antonini to rally past Sacred Heart (3-4) on Finnesey Field. SJU looked lifeless in the opening stanza, but regrouped at halftime after lightning and heavy rains forced a 45 minute delay during the break. Freshman Lauren Luft got the Hawk comeback going when she banged home a rebound less than three minutes into the second frame. The Crimson and Gray would knot the contest and then take the lead with a pair of identical goals coming on penalty corner situations spaced seven minutes apart later in the half. In both instances senior Amie Schmoltze delivered the ball to Antonini, who had slid to the near post after making the push to initiate the corner. The freshman tied the contest with her first tally at the 28:31 mark and then gave SJU its first lead with 20:22 to go in the game. The Pioneers, however would not go down without a fight and tied the scoore at 4-4 with 10:33 remaining. Freshman Colleen Carney took a pass from senior Julie Messenger after SJU took a reverse corner form the right hash. Antonini and the Hawks answered right back scoring the game-winner just 1:22 later. Antonini picked up the ball near the top of the circle and beat a couple defender before lifting the ball up into the net to complete the hat trick. Sacred Heart kept the pressure on in an effort to equalize the game, but the were bailed out twice by defensive saves from sophomore Cristin Cavanaugh. Cavanaugh stopped a pair of direct shots by SHU's Messenger off corner hits. Sacred Heart sophomore Nicole Falco netted the games first goal 14 minutes into the contest, but St. Joe's evened the score at one apiece when sophomore Katelyn O'Brien chopped home her own rebound. The Pioneers, though scored the next to goals, to build up a 3-1 advantage. Falco netted the second goal and freshman Becky Ford added the third. Junior Christy Bobe picked up the assist on both tallies. A tale of two halves, Sacred Heart outshot SJU 14-4 in the first half, while the Hawks held a 14-8 edge in the second stanza. For the game, SHU outshot St. Joe's 21-8. As expected, SJU netminder Courtney Huff made six of her nine saves in the first half. Her counterpart, the Pioneers Ashley Del Greco, had just one stop in the opening 35 minutes, but made nine stops in half number two and finished with 10 saves. SHU had a 12-9 advantage in penalty corners. Saint Joseph's returns to the field on Thursday at 7:00 PM when Drexel pays a visit to FInnesey Field.