Newcomers Lift Field Hockey Past UMass, 3-2

Friday, August 24

6 PM

University of New Hampshire

(1-0)

University of Massachusetts

(0-1)

UMASS

New Hampshire

Photo by: Allen Lessels

8/24/2018 9:39:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

Freshman Finn Caron Scores Game-Winner With 7:27 Remaining

DURHAM, N.H. – Freshmen Tia Raspante (Sandwich, Mass.) and Finn Caron (Hampton, N.H.) scored second-half goals to propel the University of New Hampshire field hockey team to Friday night's 3-2 victory against the University of Massachusetts in Day 1 of the Wildcat Classic at Memorial Field.

UNH (1-0) advances to Sunday's tournament title game (2 p.m.) against 19^th-ranked Boston University, which defeated Northeastern University, 4-1, in Friday's matinee.

Three newcomers scored all three New Hampshire goals, as junior transfer Bailey Fanikos (Lynnfield, Mass.) netted the Wildcats' first goal of the season. Erin McNamara (Sanbornton, N.H.), Nicky Bajus (Lions Bay, British Columbia) and Finn Caron (Hampton, N.H.) were each credited with one assist.

UNH goalkeeper Kelsey Rudert (North Grafton, Mass.) made four of her five saves in the first half. UMass counterpart Johanna von dem Borne stopped three shots and Sophie de Jonge was credited with a defensive save.

Up next: Sunday, Aug. 26 vs. No. 19 Boston U., 2 p.m.

THE DIFFERENCE

Raspante and Caron scored goals nearly five minutes apart – at 57:08 and 62:33, respectively – to transform UNH's one-goal deficit into a one-goal advantage.
UMass pulled von dem Borne in favor of an extra field player with 3:06 remaining, but did not advance the ball into the circle the rest of the way.

GAME RECAP

New Hampshire converted a penalty corner into a 1-0 lead late in the first half. Katie Audino (Severn, Md.) inserted the ball to the near side, and McNamara's low blast from the top-left side was redirected into the cage by Fanikos at 33:02.
The Wildcats took that one-goal advantage in the first half despite being outshot 5-3 in the opening 35 minutes.
UMass' Antonet Louw scored consecutive goals 70 seconds apart to give the Minutewomen a 2-1 lead. On the game-tying goal, Lucy Cooper drove on the left endline and her centering pass in front was redirected by Louw at 48:07. One minute later, Sophie Johnson sent a long entry pass from 35 yards on the right side that Louw got a piece of, and the ball bounced into the cage at 49:17.
UNH called a timeout at 56:32 and Raspante scored 36 seconds later to tie the score, 2-2. On a restart at the 25, Bajus stuck a low, hard ball into a group of players in the middle of the circle, and it found the stick of Raspante and the back of the cage.
Caron, gave the 'Cats at 3-2 lead at 62:33. van den Brekel initiated the scoring play on the right wing. She slipped a pass down low and Caron swept the ball into the cage.
UMass called time out, but New Hampshire almost extended the lead in the 66^th minute when Caron's shot from the top of the circle beat the charging von dem Borne, but de Jonge was in position five feet in front of the open cage to stop the ball and clear it aside.
One minute later, von dem Borne went to the sidelines for the extra field player. Neither team recorded a shot the rest of the way.

UNH NOTEBOOK

UNH won its season opener for the third consecutive year – all by one goal.
The Wildcats has won five consecutive home openers.
UNH has won four straight matchups vs. UMass, as well as six of the last seven and 9 of 12 dating back to 2001; seven of the last eight meetings have been decided by one goal.

SHOTS: UNH 3-7–10. UMass 5-6–11.

PENALTY CORNERS: UNH 2-2–4. UMass 0-1–1.

GOALS
UNH (3): Finn Caron, Bailey Fanikos, Tia Raspante
UMASS (2): Antonet Louw (2)

ASSISTS
UNH (3): Nicky Bajus, Erin McNamara, Bloem van den Brekel
UMASS (2): Lucy Cooper, Sophie Johnson

SAVES
UNH: Kelsey Rudert 4-1-5 (70:00; 2 GA) [Win]
UMASS: Johanna von dem Borne 0-3–3 (66:54; 3 GA) [loss]

DEFENSIVE SAVES
UNH (0)
UMASS (1): Sophie de Jonge