SALISBURY, Md. - The No. 2 Salisbury University field hockey team earned the 2024 C2C Conference Championship over No. 5 CNU Saturday night inside Sea Gull Stadium. Salisbury won 3-2 after taking the penalty shootout 4-3, earning the program's 25th Conference Championship.
The Captains controlled the game early scoring just two and a half minutes into the contest. Salisbury did not have a shot in the first as CNU headed into the second period clinging to the 1-0 lead.
The Salisbury offense came alive in the second quarter with six shots and two goals. Both Sea Gull goals came from
Kaitlyn DeModna in just a 45-second span.
Alex Kupper assisted on the first goal while
DeModna powered one past the CNU goalie on a penalty stroke opportunity for the second. Salisbury headed to the half leading 2-1.
The Captains were able to tie the game five minutes into the second half but the teams remained scoreless for the remainder of the game forcing overtime.
Abbey McIlvain earned three saves to finish regulation after CNU tied it up.
In intense overtime action, the SU defense was on full display.
McIlvain added three more saves in overtime while
Isabel Larrabee made possibly the biggest play of the game. With under 30 seconds to play, the Captains were on the verge of a game-winner with a rebound opportunity when
Larrabee stopped the shot with a defensive save keeping the Sea Gulls alive and sending the game into a penalty stroke shootout.
In the shootout, freshman
Merfie Lawson entered the cage for the Sea Gulls making two key stops. With the Conference Championship on the line,
Ramsey Coffman scored the final penalty stroke clinching the C2C Championship for the Sea Gulls.
Game Notes
- CNU earned more penalty corners and shots than SU
-
McIlvain totaled
eight saves
-
Hannah Johnson also earned a defensive save for the Sea Gulls
- Salisbury now moves to 15-0 at home against the Captains
Salisbury finishes the regular season 15-2 with eight ranked wins and a Coast-to-Coast Conference Championship. The NCAA Division III field hockey selection show is tomorrow at 9:30 p.m. where the Sea Gulls will find out where they land in the bracket.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football and men's and women's swimming, and the Coastal Lacrosse Conference for men's lacrosse. With over 500 student-athletes in 23 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 23 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 201 conference championships, and 50 Academic All-Americans.
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.
