Pioneers Advance to ECAC Semifinals with 1-0 Win

WP Defeats Catholic in First Round

Christina Ayusa scored the game lone goal in a 1-0 ECAC Tournament victory against Catholic.

WAYNE, N.J. – The top-seeded William Paterson field hockey team (13-6) advanced to the ECAC Mid-Atlantic Tournament semifinals with a 1-0 victory against eighth-seeded Catholic (11-9) in the first round Nov. 7 at Wightman Stadium.

The Pioneers will face fourth-seeded Montclair State in the tournament semifinals Saturday, Nov. 10, at a time and location to be determined.

Sophomore Christina Ayusa (Runnemede, N.J./Triton) broke the scoreless deadlock with 19:52 remaining in the first half, finishing a Danielle Herbek (Lincoln Park, N.J./Boonton) pass off a corner for her fifth goal of the year.

Pioneer goalie Christina Auger (Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills) made five saves for WP, and junior Tina Londino (Gloucester City, N.J./Gloucester City) had a pair of defensive saves, to preserve the shutout. Marian Cassilly had two stops for Catholic.

The win was the first postseason victory for the Pioneers since 2003, when William Paterson earned a 2-1 home victory against Juniata in the first round of the ECAC Mid-Atlantic Tournament. This year marks WP's fourth ECAC bid in the last five years, and the win against the Cardinals avenged a 2-1 WP overtime loss at Catholic in last year's ECAC first round.

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