CNE CHAMPIONSHIP: Brunet's OT Game-Winner Completes Comeback For No. 8 Field Hockey, 2-1 (OT)

BEVERLY, Mass. - The No. 8 Endicott field hockey team claimed the program's seventh conference championship today and first-ever Conference of New England (CNE) title as the Gulls defeated Roger Williams, 2-1 (OT).

Endicott improved to 20-1 this season and earned the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament, with the selection show set for Sunday, November 9 at 9 PM.

For her efforts in the CNE Tournament, senior defender Natalia Correia (Tyngsboro, Mass.) was named Tournament Most Outstanding Player.

In a tightly contested rematch from the 2023 Championship game, the Hawks got the first chance in the extra period, but Correia got a stick in the way to block the ball out of harm's way. Then, on the ensuing Endicott possession, Maddy Dengler (Winchester, Mass.) drove the ball right side of the circle and was awarded a corner.

On the penalty corner opportunity, Lily Johnson (Paxton, Mass.) had her initial shot blocked, and the ball bounced to Sabrina Brunet (South Burlington, Vt.), who slotted home her first career game-winning goal to secure the CNE Championship victory.

Libby Corsetti (Arlington, Mass.) got the visiting Roger Williams Hawks on the board first in the second quarter. Corsetti put home a rebound opportunity following a shot off a penalty corner.

The Gulls never wavered as Tori Swanson (Farmington, Conn.) leveled the game up 1:32 before halftime with her 23rd goal of the season. The senior collected the ball off a deflection from a shot by Johnson and scooped the ball over the goalie and into the back of the cage.

Coming out of halftime, Roger Williams had all the momentum, outshooting Endicott 6-2 in the third quarter, along with having the corner advantage 4-1. The defense of Adie Bolduc (Weare, N.H.), Correia, Kate Harris (Andover, Mass.), Jordyn Kuharich (Holliston, Mass.), and Riley Perkins (Lakeville, Mass.) all kept the game at a stalemate, while Faith Minickene (Madison, Conn.) made three saves as well.

In the fourth quarter, the two teams went back and forth, tying on penalty corners with four apiece and recording 14 shots (eight for Endicott and six for Roger Williams). Both goalies came up with clutch saves over the course of the final 15 minutes, denying goal-scoring opportunities on both sides, forcing the game to overtime.

In the end, Minickene finished with six saves to pick up the victory and improve to 19-1 this season.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• The Gulls advance to the conference championship game for the seventh time in the past eight seasons.
• The 20 wins for Endicott are a program record.
• The Blue and Green are now 3-0 in overtime games this season.
• Third all-time meeting between the two programs in the postseason, with Gulls holding a 3-0 advantage (2-0 in championship games)

WHAT'S NEXT

No. 8 Endicott advances to the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Tournament. The selection show will be on Sunday, November 9, at 9 PM. Roger Williams sees its season come to a close with a final record of 15-6. 

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(Photo Credit - Jonah Bean '28)