UD, JMU Meet Again In FH Title Game

11/6/2015 5:00:00 PM

Tim McDonnell

#CAAChamps Central

#2 Delaware 8, #3 Hofstra 1 | Game 2 Boxscore | Highlights

Harrisonburg, Va. (Nov. 6, 2015) – Juniors Meghan Winesett and Esmée Peet each had two goals in the first half and second-seeded Delaware downed third-seeded Hofstra, 8-1, in the second semifinal contest of the 2015 CAA Field Hockey Championship at the JMU Field Hockey Complex on Friday night.

UD, the two-time defending champions, get a shot at the rare three-peat on Sunday in the CAA title game against top-seeded host James Madison. Both the Blue Hens (No. 15) and Dukes (No. 16) are nationally ranked, while Sunday’s tilt will be a re-match of last year’s championship contest which Delaware won, 2-1.

Interestingly, James Madison was the last CAA team to win three consecutive championships, coming from 2006-08. During the regular season this fall, the Dukes defeated the Hens (2-1) in overtime on the road.

Hofstra entered the weekend making an appearance in the championship for the first time since 2012. The Pride finishes the year with a 14-6 record. Junior Stella Schoen, a First Team All-CAA member, scored the team’s lone goal in the first half.

It took a little bit of time, but Winesett put her team on the board first with a sweet diving goal off a deflection at 16:57. Less than one minute later, Winesett found the back of the net again in nearly the same spot to quickly make it 2-0.

Hofstra’s Schoen made it a 2-1 contest about three minutes later, but that’s the closest the game got, as UD closed the half on a 2-0 run with a pair of goals from Peet which made it 4-1.

The Blue Hens scored two more goals early in the second half, one unassisted by Marjelle Scheffers and another off a corner from freshman Greta Nauck. Seniors Jacki Coveleski and Michaela Patzner added the final scores.

Delaware finished with seven corners compared to HU’s four and outshot the Pride, 17-8.

#1 James Madison 3, #4 Drexel 0 | Game 1 Boxscore | Highlights

HARRISONBURG, Va. (November 6, 2015) - Top-seeded James Madison advanced to its second straight title game after defeating fourth-seeded Drexel, 3-0, in the first semifinal contest of the 2015 CAA Field Hockey Championship on Friday at the Dukes’ own JMU Field Hockey Complex.

JMU, which earned the right to host the championship after running through conference play with a perfect 6-0 record, improved to 14-5 on the year. The current No. 16 Dukes will face either second-seeded Delaware or third-seeded Hofstra in Sunday’s title game at 2:00 p.m.

Drexel, appearing in the championship field for the first time since 2013, finishes the season with an 8-11 record. The Dragons are the last team besides two-time defending champion Delaware to win the league title, occurring in 2012.

Redshirt senior Taylor West scored her 16^th goal of the season midway through the first half, while classmate Adrienne le Vatte and freshman Miranda Rigg both scored once in the second half. West was tabbed CAA Player of the Year on Thursday night.

Earlier this season (Oct. 9), the Dragons fell to the Dukes, 4-0, also in Harrisonburg. Goalkeeper Ainslie Rhoads made five saves in defeat, while JMU goalkeeper Sara Kraeutler earned her fifth shutout of the season. Rigg and le Vatte’s goals were both unassisted.

For further information regarding the 2015 CAA Field Hockey Championship, visit our official championship page under the championships tab at CAASports.com. Join the conversation on social media by using the official CAA Championships hashtag, #CAAChamps. The CAA’s primary social media platforms include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat – find us by searching “caasports”.

Every game of the 2015 CAA Field Hockey Championship will be broadcast for free and in HD by logging onto CAA.tv. Fans can utilize any internet connected device to access live video and stats and can also follow live statistics of each match by visiting CAAStats.com.

2015 CAA FIELD HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP
Friday, November 6 - Semifinals (JMU Field Hockey Complex – Harrisonburg, Va.)

#1 James Madison Dukes 3, #4 Drexel Dragons 0

#2 University Delaware Blue Hens 8, #3 Hofstra University 1

Sunday, November 8 – Title Game (JMU Field Hockey Complex – Harrisonburg, Va.)

#1 James Madison Dukes vs. #2 Delaware Blue Hens – 2:00 p.m. (Live on CAA.tv)