FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 19, 2016
Pioneers Down Hawks in NE-10 Thriller
BOX SCORE | VIDEO RECAP | NCAA BRACKET | POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE
EASTON, Mass. - The No. 4 and top-seeded LIU Post field hockey team will play for its first-ever NCAA Division II National Championship, after capturing a thrilling 1-0 overtime win against No. 5 and second-seeded Saint Anselm College in an NCAA Division II National Semifinal Friday at Stonehill College's W.B. Mason Stadium.
It is the third time in the last four years that the Pioneers (16-3) have advanced to the title game. The green and gold previously played for a national championship in 2013 and 2014.
Furthermore, the Pioneers and Hawks (17-5) had all three of their meetings this season need overtime to decide a victor.
In the 78th minute, sophomore forward/midfielder Emily Miller, who tallied the overtime game-winner in the Northeast-10 Conference Championship at Saint Anselm, struck again to put her team through.
Miller re-directed a Julie Gysels pass inside the far post for the deciding marker. It was Miller's 10th game-winning goal of the 2016 campaign.
Senior goaltender Ericka Parks stood tall between the pipes for LIU Post, making a game-high seven saves. Five of those stops came in the second half or later, including three in a five-second span to keep the game scoreless.
The Pioneers will meet top-ranked Shippensburg University for the NCAA Division II National Championship on Sunday (Nov. 20) at 1 p.m. at W.B. Mason Stadium. The two squads last met in 2013 for the national title in Norfolk, Va.
LIU Post is 1-0 this year against opponents ranked No. 1 in the NFHCA Division II Top-10 Poll. Earlier this season, a 37th-minute tally by Melissa Quintanilla sent the Pioneers to a 1-0 victory at then-No. 1 East Stroudsburg on Sept. 12.
To view the Live Stats and full video webcast of Sunday's NCAA Division II National Championship, please click here.
Reporting for this release provided by the LIU Post athletic media relations staff
ABOUT THE NORTHEAST-10
The Northeast-10 Conference is an association of 15 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,500 student-athletes.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
