SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. (Nov. 5, 2011) – The Mount Holyoke College field hockey team moved one step closer to its third NEWMAC Tournament Championship with a 7-2 triumph over sixth-seeded Babson College today at Jack Barry Field. With the win the Lyons improved to 13-4 on the year and punched their ticket to tomorrow's NEWMAC Championship, where they will face off against top-seeded MIT at 1:00 p.m. The winner of that match will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA National Tournament.

MIT advanced with a convincing 8-2 victory over fourth-seeded Springfield College in today's first semifinal. The Engineers entered the tournament as the top seed by virtue of their 3-2 triumph over Mount Holyoke on October 15. Both squads went 6-2 in league play to earn a share of the NEWMAC Regular Season Championship.

In three previous appearances in the NEWMAC Championship, Mount Holyoke has come out on top two times. Ironically, the Lyons squared off against Springfield College all three times. After falling 2-1 to the Pride in 1999, they prevailed 1-0 in 2001 and 2-1 in 2003.

MIT will be playing in the NEWMAC Championship for the third year in a row and fifth time overall. The Engineers claimed titles in 1994 and 2009. They fell 6-1 to Babson last fall.

Tournament History

Top seeds MIT and Mount Holyoke have claimed two NEWMAC Tournament Championships apiece. Both squads went 6-2 in league play to earn a share of the regular season title and first round byes. They will have their work cut out to reach Springfield, which has racked up seven championships over the league's first 24 seasons. The Pride earned five consecutive titles from 2004 to 2008 before MIT captured its second in 2009. Mount Holyoke took home crowns in 2001 and 2003. Meanwhile, Wellesley has finished on top six times, and WPI and Smith College have prevailed four and two times, respectively. Babson secured its first conference title last fall.

MIT 3, Mount Holyoke 2 (October 15, 2011)

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Complete Recap | Boxscore

Junior forward Kimberly Barker found the back of the cage with just under seven minutes remaining in regulation to lift MIT to a dramatic 3-2 victory over Mount Holyoke on October 15 Jack Barry Field. Senior forward Shara Robertson figured in on both goals for the Lyons, scoring one and assisting on the other.

MIT jumped out to a 1-0 advantage 1:51 into the match, when senior forward Kameron Klauber scored off an assist from sophomore Molly Duffy.

Mount Holyoke responded with two unanswered goals over a span of five minutes. The first came from first year midfielder Kirsten Kilburn, who took a Robertson injection and blasted a shot past MIT sophomore goalkeeper Casey Landry from the top of the circle. Robertson then scored one of her own at the 26:53 mark to put the guests in front 2-1.

The Lyons continued to dominate possession in the early stages of the second stanza but were unable to add to their lead despite eight shots over the first 15 minutes.

Momentum shifted toward MIT midway through the half, when junior midfielder Molly McShane took advantage of a penalty corner opportunity to knot things up at 2-2. After collecting a pass from senior defender Anna Teruya at the top of the circle, she lofted a high arcing shot over senior goalkeeper Katie Gibson's head. Her first goal of the year set the stage for what proved to be a thrilling finish.

The contest was still tied up in the waning minutes until Barker capped off a frantic scramble with her 10^th goal of the year. Klauber was credited with the assist on the play.

MIT finished with advantages in shots (24-16) and corners (12-9). Landry got the start between the pipes for the Engineers. She made three saves in the first half before giving way to first year Jenna Klein, who stopped one shot after the intermission. Gibson came up with 10 saves for the Lyons. 

Breaking Down the Lyons

Mount Holyoke (13-4, 6-2 NEWMAC) has rolled to five straight victories. The Lyons have used a balanced attack to outscore their opponents 77-47 thus far this season. Their 77 goals and 203 points are the most in program history.

Forward Shara Robertson has set the tone with a school-record 55 points on 20 goals and 15 assists. With her dramatic tally against Springfield earlier this week, she became the program's all-time leader in career points (146) and goals (62). Midfielder Kirsten Kilburn has made an immediate impact in her rookie campaign at Mount Holyoke, racking up 13 goals and nine assists. Meanwhile, forward Jess Fajardo has scored 15 times, and midfielder Aurora Rougeau has dished out nine assists. The Lyons have also received a boost from forward Stephanie Slysz, who has chipped in with eight goals and five assists.

On the defensive end, goalkeeper Katie Gibson has posted a goals against average of 1.23 and a save percentage of .807. She has collected five shutouts this year and 17 in her career. Tricia Chase has provided support with a league-best six defensive saves, and Kilburn has added five

Breaking Down the Engineers

MIT (16-3, 6-2 NEWMAC) advanced to the championship with a convincing 8-2 victory over Springfield today. Forward Molly Duffy erupted for four goals for the Engineers, who scored four times in the first 15:15 of the contest.

Forward Kameron Klauber has set the tone for MIT with 59 points on 19 goals and 21 assists. The Engineers have also received a boost from Duffy, who has racked up an eye-popping 23 goals to go with seven helpers.  Fellow frontliner Kimberly Barker has chipped in with 11 goals and 15 assists. As a team, MIT has piled up 229 points on 85 goals and 59 assists.

Casey Landry and Jenna Klein have shared time between the pipes for the Engineers. The duo has combined to post a goals against average of 1.26 and a save percentage of .788. They have blanked their opponents six times. The Engineers have come out on top in 10 of their previous 11 matches.