Field Hockey Captures ECAC Championship

Field Hockey Captures ECAC Championship
Kean Athletics

UNION, N.J. (11/16/08) - Junior Brittany Gibbs (West Deptford, N.J.) scored the game-winner midway through overtime to lift the Kean University field hockey team to a 3-2 overtime victory over Catholic University to win the Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Mid-Atlantic Championship on Sunday evening. Freshman Olivia Triano (Keyport, N.J.) delivered a pass to Gibbs, who was just outside the left post, where she tipped-in the golden goal for the program's first ECAC Championship with 7:14 remaining in the extra session.
With just 15 minutes remaining in the game, Gibbs tied the game at 2-2 when she knocked in the goal from the left post following a shot by Triano.

Catholic took a 2-1 lead in the first half behind two goals from sophomore midfielder Elizabeth Grumbein (Allentown, Pa.). Grumbein got the Cardinals on the board first, scoring off the assist from senior Ro Dixon following a penalty corner less than 11 minutes into the game.

The Cougars tied the game later in the half following four straight penalty corners, as senior Katie McGee (Cherry Hill, N.J.) took a shot from the top of the circle. Catholic goalkeeper Marian Cassilly (Gambrills, Md.) stopped McGee's shot, however Triano picked up the rebound and scored her 11th goal of the season with 8:38 remaining in the opening half. Triano has also scored a goal in each of the Cougars' three ECAC wins.

With less than four minutes left in the half, the Cardinals regained the lead as Grumbein scored from the right side of the circle off the pass from sophomore Andrea Baick (Gaithersburg, Md.).
For Catholic, Cassilly stopped nine shots, as the Cougars held a 13-4 edge in shots and a 13-2 advantage in penalty corners.

Gibbs, who was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament after scoring five goals in the three games, closed out her record-breaking junior season with school records of 28 goals and 63 points.

The Cougars concluded the season with a school-record 17 wins (17-5), breaking the mark of 15 set by the 2003 team.