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IMMACULATA, Pa. – Junior midfielder Shannon Mulhern’s goal with 23 seconds remaining in the second half propelled the Cabrini field hockey team to a 2-1 win against Neumann University in the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) title match Saturday at Immaculata’s Draper Walsh Stadium. The victory marks the first conference championship in program history for the Cavaliers and punches their ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
Junior back Allie Rodolico was named the game’s most valuable player. Mulhern and sophomore forward Lauren Alessi provided the offense for the Blue & White.
Neumann jumped out to a 1-0 lead when senior forward Lauren Hood found the back of the cage off a rebound in the 27th minute. The Knights held onto its one-goal lead at the intermission and out-shot Cabrini, 5-4, in the opening half.
The Cavaliers evened the contest at 1-1 in the 42nd minute. Alessi tipped in a feed on the doorstep from freshman forward Lindsey Atzert.
The ensuing 27 minutes played scoreless until Mulhern’s deflected a rebound past Neumann goalkeeper Maggie Carpenter at the 69:37 mark.
The Blue & White out-shot Neumann for the contest, 11-7, including a 7-2 advantage in the second half. The Cavaliers’ offense generated 10 penalty corners against just four from the Knights.
Cabrini junior goalkeeper Caitlin Donahue notched five saves in the win. Carpenter posted six stops for the Knights in the season-ending loss.
The title match featured a rematch of the 2008 championship final. Last season, the Knights earned a 3-0 win against Cabrini and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
The Cabrini (11-10) field hockey team, the third of six Cavaliers teams to compete for the CSAC crown Saturday at the Fall Championship Festival, will learn of its NCAA Tournament fate Sunday/Monday.