Courtesy of Newberry College Athletics
BLOOMSBURG, PA — The Newberry College field hockey (20-1) came as close to winning a national championship as possible, but Shippensburg (20-3) scored a goal 2:11 into overtime to defeat the Wolves 3-2 in the championship game of the NCAA Division 2 Tournament.
After Shippensburg controlled the first period and led 1-0, the Wolves started to turn the tide and gained more possession and offensive chances in the second period despite still trailing 1-0 at the half.
The Raiders had three penalty corners and three shots on goal in the first period to none in either category for the Wolves over the first 15 minutes.
That trend continued over the first 12 minutes of the second period as the Raiders racked up five more penalty corners and three shots, two of them on goal before the Wolves responded with four shots, one on goal and another off the post and registered a penalty corner over the final two and a half minutes.
Wibien Dahmen then got the Wolves on the board when she scored her 17th goal of the season 3:49 into the third period to tie the game at 1-1.
Shippensburg regained the lead with a goal just over four minutes later to grab a 2-1 advantage.
But the Wolves again showed their resilience on a cloudy, cold, windswept day (46 degrees with wind chill of 38) as Lieke Varenkamp’s dash down the far sideline and backhand goal tied the game 2-2.
The Wolves registered eight shots, four of them on goal and another by Amber Tozana off the crossbar with four penalty corners in the third period.
Neither team scored in the fourth period, but the Wolves continued to pressure the Raiders with a pair of shots including one on goal by Dahmen.
In the overtime, the Wolves had first possession with Agustina Montserrat and Payton Keeler each registering a shot on goal, but Shippensburg scored on their first possession of overtime to win the game.
Newberry outshot Shippensburg 21-8 including a 9-7 advantage on shots on goal.
Dahmen had six shots with four of them on goal, Emma Westbrook, Tozana and Varenkamp each had three shots on goal.
Wolves goalkeeper Ayanda Mangenah made four saves.
Parker and Payton Keeler along with Westbrook were named to the all-tournament team.
The Wolves field hockey team stamped itself as one of the most successful teams in Newberry College history by advancing to the championship game of a national tournament and proved to the NCAA Division 2 field hockey world that they belong.