Castleton, VT-Castleton State College senior forwards Carolyn Griggs and Kayla Blank each scored two goals and provided one assist to lead the Spartans to a 4-3 overtime victory over St. Joseph's College (Me.) in the 2008 North Atlantic Conference Field Hockey Championship.

Blank broke free for a one-on-one opportunity with St. Joseph's goalie, Meaghan Johnson just 1:30 into the overtime period. After Johnson turned away two shots, Blank made good on the third attempt, propelling top-seed, Castleton to its first-ever NAC Championship and berth in the NCAA Division III National Tournament.

Blank broke a scoreless tie 8:50 into the contest with her 21st goal of the season off a Griggs assist. Griggs blasted a shot that was headed wide of the goal and Blank was able to redirect it inside the nearside post, just past the sprawling Johnson. St. Joseph's had an opportunity to tie the score when Alyssa Dunn was awarded a penalty stroke with 7:04 remaining in the half.

Castleton goalie Trisha Clark was able to make the save high to her blocker side to preserve the one goal lead. Griggs made it 2-0 less than one minute later, as she corralled a rebound and sent home her 21st of the season. The Monks cut the lead in half just 38 seconds later as Courtney Rague scored the first of her two goals off a Kayla Nowell assist. Nowell played a perfect cross into the circle that Rague redirected past Clark to make it 2-1 entering intermission.

Griggs opened the Spartan scoring in the second half, one-timing her second goal of the contest inside the nearside post. Molly Fraher played the ball directly off a Kayla Blank penalty corner onto Griggs's stick for the rare double-assist. St. Joseph's did not go away however, rallying to score two unanswered goals and force overtime. Rague netted her second of the contest with 12:55 remaining to make it 3-2. Sarah Bartell passed the ball directly into the center of the circle and Rague was able to beat Clark. Julia Ostrowski scored the Monk equalizer with 1:12 remaining in regulation off a tremendous second effort. Clark turned away a pair of Ostrowski shots, only to see the Monks be awarded a penalty corner. After taking the penalty corner, Ostrowski repositioned and rifled a shot that Clark once again turned back. Ostrowski was then able to gather the rebound and send the shot past Clark for the equalizer.

Griggs wrapped up a fantastic tournament in which she scored four goals, including the game winner versus Husson in the semifinal round, to go along with two assists and Tournament Most Valuable Player honors.

Clark stopped 12 shots, including eight in the second half to earn the win and a spot on the All-Tournament team as Castleton improves to 14-7 overall. Johnson ended the contest with 10 saves of her own in the loss. St. Joseph's season ends with a 14-5 overall mark.

2008 North Atlantic Conference Field Hockey All-Tournament Team

Carolyn Griggs, Castleton State College - Most Valuable Player
Kayla Blank, Castleton State College
Trisha Clark, Castleton State College
Megan Konowich, Castleton State College
Brooke Towslee, Castleton State College
Jillian Kimball, St. Joseph's College (Me.)
Julia Ostrowski, St. Joseph's College (Me.)
Courtney Rague, St. Joseph's College (Me.)
Courtney Allen, Husson University
Kelsey Bushover, Husson University
Erika Lucas, University of Maine-Farmington
Bethany Marshall, University of Maine-Farmington

Top-seed Castleton advances to first-ever NAC Final with 5-2 win over fourth-seed Husson

Castleton, VT - Senior forward, Carolyn Griggs scored two goals and added an assist as the top-seeded Castleton State College field hockey team advanced to its first ever North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Final with a 5-2 win over fourth-seed Husson University.

Griggs set up Trishia Fellows 10:47 into the first half to open the scoring. Griggs played a ball into the circle from the right side to Fellows who one touched it inside the nearside post. Just two minutes later, Castleton senior Kayla Blank, scored her 20th goal of the season off her own rebound to make it 2-0. Senior back, Brooke Towslee, initiated the play with a long hit that set up Blank for the one-on-one opportunity with Husson goalie, Caroline Bochtler. Husson cut the lead in half with 16:02 remaining in the half on Elisha Dorso's 10th goal of the season. Dorso took a shot form the left side of the cage that Castleton goalie, Trisha Clark got a stick on but the shot made its way past.

The Spartans opened the second half with three unanswered goals in the first nine minutes of play to break the game open. Griggs scored two within 30 seconds of each other to give the Spartans a bit of breathing room. Four minutes and twenty-one seconds into the second half Griggs received a pass from Sarah Flore off a Kayla Blank penalty corner to make it 3-1. Just 30 seconds later Griggs scored again, her 20th of the season, off a Fellows assist. Fellows blasted a shot towards the goal, which Griggs redirected past Bochtler. Molly Fraher added an insurance goal four minutes later off yet another Flore assist from a Blank penalty corner. Elisha Dorso added her second of the game with 13:43 remaining on a breakaway. Dorso corralled a turnover in the Spartan defensive third and beat Clark one-on-one for her 11th of the season.

Bochtler had five saves for the Eagles, as their season ends at 8-8.

Clark stopped two shots as Castleton improves to 13-7 overall. The Spartans will play host to #3 St. Joseph's College (Me.), on November 8 in the NAC Final. The Monks advanced to the final with a 1-0 win over #2 University of Maine-Farmington. Castleton's lone conference loss came at St. Joseph's 4-2 on October 5.

Maine-Farmington ousted from NAC field hockey semis by St. Joseph's

FARMINGTON, Maine -- A goal by Gina Gaetani (Auburn, ME) four minutes into the game stood up as third-seeded St. Joseph's College knocked off No. 2 University of Maine at Farmington 1-0 in North Atlantic Conference field hockey semifinal action today at Prescott Field.

The Monks (14-4) advanced to take on top-seeded Castleton State College (13-7) in the NAC title game next Saturday. The Beavers (8-8) will miss the NAC final for the first time since the conference began in 2003.

Gaetani's score came off an intercepted clear of a cross at 4:09. The senior captain watched the pass onto her stick and popped it in the goal for the game-winner It was the lone shot of the first half for either team.

The Beavers upped their intensity in the second half, including a span of eight corners over five minutes of play, but to no avail. Despite a 12-5 advantage in corners -- all 12 in the second frame, Farmington managed only four shots in the contest.

Meaghan Johnson collected two saves in registering the shutout victory.

Kaeleigh Barker (Chichester, NH) stopped five shots in the loss, including a sprawling dive to snub Julia Ostrowski (Albany, NY) in the second half to keep the game within one score.

St. Joseph's, Husson Advance in Field Hockey Tournament

Higher seeds Husson University and St. Joesph's College of Maine advanced in the first round of the NAC field hockey championship today. Husson defeated Lasell 6-0 and will play at top seed Castleton on Saturday, November 1. St. Joseph's got past Thomas 3-1 and will travel to Maine-Farmington for a semifinal matchup.

Saint Joseph's Triumphant in NAC First Round, 3-1

STANDISH, ME - Saint Joseph's College (13-4, 5-1 NAC) defeated Thomas College (3-13, 1-5) by a 3-1 score in a North Atlantic Conference Field Hockey Quarterfinal on Wednesday afternoon. Senior Kelly Emerson (Vassalboro, ME) netted the game-winning goal in the 48th minute to help lift the Lady Monks to the team's first NAC postseason victory. The Terriers' season comes to a close with the playoff loss.

With the victory, #3 Saint Joseph's advances to the semifinal round and will play on Saturday, November 1st at 2:00 PM on the road against #2 seed University of Maine at Farmington.

Julia Ostrowski ‘10 (Albany, NY) and Sarah Bartell ‘12 (Exeter, NH) both scored goals for the Lady Monks while teammate Jillian Kimball ‘10 (Albany Township, ME) notched three assists in the quarterfinal victory. SJC goalkeeper Meaghan Johnson ‘12 (Portland, ME/Cheverus) made seven saves between the pipes.

Ali Kriegel ‘12 (Winslow, ME) scored the lone Thomas goal and Amy Miles ‘09 (Waldo, ME) registered an assist on the play. Terriers goalie Megan Denby ‘10 (Copiague, NY) made 13 saves in the losing effort.

Husson Advances to NAC Semifinal

Bangor, ME - The Eagles won their 6th straight game advancing to the NAC Semi-finals with a 6-0 win over Lasell College.  Krystal Doughty (Sr, Lisbon Falls, ME) and Courtney Allen (So, Gardiner, ME) each had two goals. 

Husson scored all six of their goals off corners.  Doughty got the Eagles on the board 3:23 into the game as she played her own rebound past Christina Thornton (Fy, Canton, MA).  That would be the only goal of the first half. 

The Eagles erupted for five second half goals.  Doughty set up Sarah Hessert (Jr, Hampden, ME) off a corner from Erica Dorso (Sr, Farmingdale, ME) to make it 2-0.  Dorso factored in the next four goals finishing with 3 assists and one goal. 

Dorso served up a corner to Doughty who fired a blast to the right side of Thornton.  Dorso connected with Allen on Husson's next two goals and then she finished off the scoring with a goal of her own assisted by Michelle Barden (Sr, St Albans, ME). 

Caroline Bouchter (So, Turner, ME) had two saves and Lindsay Barnes (Jr, Owls Head, ME) had a defensive save.  Thornton finished with 7 saves while Amanda Miller (Sr, Fall River, MA) played the last 7 minutes and had two saves. 

Husson moves to 8-7 and will play Castleton State College on Saturday, November 1 at 11:00 am.  Lasell finishes their season at 7-10. 

NAC Field Hockey Championship Seeding Announced

Seeding has been announced for the North Atlantic Conference Field Hockey Championship which will begin first round play Wednesday, October 29. Following regular season competition, three teams tied with a 5-1 conference record. Using predetermined tiebreaking procedures, Castleton (12-7 overall) has earned the top seed in the tournament and will receive a first round bye.

St. Joseph's of Maine, which finished tied atop the league standings at 5-1, earned the third seed and will host Thomas (3-12 overall, 1-5 NAC) in a first round contest on Wednesday, October 29. The Monks edged the Terriers on the road 2-1 in late September.

The winner of the St. Joseph's/Thomas contest will meet two-time defending champion Maine-Farmington (8-7 overall, 5-1 NAC) in semifinal action on Saturday, November 1. The Beavers earned the second seed and first round bye.

Fourth seed Husson (7-7 overall, 3-3 NAC) will host fifth seed Lasell (7-9 overall, 2-4 NAC) in first round action on Wednesday. The higher seeded Eagles turned back the Lasers 6-1 in conference action on October 25. The winner will travel to Castleton on Saturday for a semifinal matchup.

The top six teams qualify for the NAC Championship. Predetermined tiebreaking procedures were used to seed teams with identical conference winning percentages. First round games will be played on Wednesday, October 29 at the higher seed. Winners will advance to the semifinals held at the higher seed on Saturday, November 1. Semifinal winners will meet Saturday, November 8 at the highest remaining seed. Game times and dates are subject to change. The NAC Champion receives an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Championship.

Championship Bracket