HOOKSETT, New Hampshire - It was a marathon and a sprint all in one, and in the end, the American International College field hockey team had enough in the tank to win a shootout 4-2 to claim a 1-0 victory over Southern New Hampshire University in Northeast 10 Conference play on Saturday, October 10.
AIC is now 3-5 overall and 1-2 in the NE10.
AIC came out strong in the first frame, outshooting the Penmen 6-2, but Augustina Miranda Waigand turned back all six shots.
From there, the rest of the game belonged to
Frederique den Hartog; the junior keeper stopped two in the first, and followed with four in the second, two in the third, and six in the final frame to force overtime.
AIC had the lone shot of the first extra session, but the Penmen dominated the final 10 minutes of seven-on-seven, only to have den Hartog shut the door five more times in the final bonus frame.Â
With no scoring through 80 minutes, the teams went to a shootout, and
Milagros Zanatelli broke through on the first attempt, with an impressive fake spin before cutting back left to beat Waigand.
den Hartog denied the first two Penmen attempts, including a slick diving save against Kim Dull, and then
Fenna Voll blasted back a rebound over a prone Waigand to give AIC a 2-0 edge. Julia Giampetro struck as well, however, cutting AIC's lead back to one.
AIC had a chance to get in the driver's seat, and
Victoria Nelson slammed on the gas, charging straight down the middle and beating Waigand five-hole. Amelia Crocombe responded with one of her own, barely squeaking a shot past den Hartog.
Now the game was on the line; AIC needed either a goal or a save to seal the victory. Rookie
Fiene Dik stepped up, and cut from right to left before sliding a shot through Waigand and just over the line to put the win away.Â
For den Hartog, the 19-save shutout was her first of the season and third of her career; it was the second-most saves she had made in a game and the most in a victory in her three seasons.
AIC will look to continue its winning ways on Wednesday, October 14 at 7:00 p.m. at Assumption University.
