The UMass field hockey team came up just short in a 2-1, double overtime defeat against Miami (Ohio) in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championship game in Harrisonburg, Virginia on Saturday.
Heading into the fourth quarter, the Minutewomen trailed 1-0, but with four minutes, 23 seconds left on the clock, UMass was granted a corner, setting up a prime scoring opportunity.
With an empty net, Gabrielle Benkenstein sent a pass to the middle of the field, where Fiene Jenniskens was waiting to bring the ball to a halt.
Lina Kroeger loaded up a shot, sending the ball flying through traffic. The line drive shot snuck past Redhawks goalie Nicky Sjouken’s blocker, tying the contest and eventually sending it to overtime.
“I’m proud of our team’s performance,” Minutewomen head coach Barb Weinberg said. “I thought they fought really hard and I think anyone could have won that game.”
Miami ended the battle with the deciding goal scored with 4:44 left in the second overtime period. A low shot from the right side snuck in between Myrte van Herwijnen’s legs, putting an end to the Minutewomen’s title chances.
With just one goal surrendered in regulation, UMass played to its identity, producing a solid performance on the defensive end. The Minutewomen averaged just 0.75 goals-against per-game this season.
“I think the game went in a lot of ways as expected,” Weinberg said. “In terms of performance, we played phenomenal defense. Miami plays great attack.”
This year’s MAC Championship was the first one to feature UMass as one of its teams. The program proved they belonged in year one, battling till the very end in a competitive matchup.
Saturday’s matchup wasn’t the first time the two teams faced off this season, with the Minutewomen taking a 3-1 victory back on Sept. 28 in Ohio.
Despite a different result this go-around, UMass can be proud after showcasing it is one of the best teams in its new conference.
“I’m really proud of the team,” Weinberg said. “With the loss, they’re obviously really disappointed. We all are. But I think when you reflect on this season and what this group was able to accomplish, coming into a new conference and winning the regular season title, it’s a huge accomplishment, and I hope they look back on that soon.”
The Minutewomen closed the season at 16-4.
