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The NCAA News -- November 23, 1998

Overtime goal lifts Bloomsburg to third consecutive title

Bloomsburg became the first team to claim three consecutive NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championships with a 4-3 overtime victory over Lock Haven November 8.

The Huskies (21-1) took the title from host Lock Haven (20-3) on a breakaway goal by Krista Engle six minutes into the extra period. Kelly Platt was credited with the assist.

"The whole game was more or less a momentum shift," said Bloomsburg coach Jan Hutchison. "First they would have it, then we would have it, and then they would get it back again. The game was just going to be decided on who lasted through it the longest. But I was pleased with how hard our kids played today."

Lock Haven gained momentum going into the overtime period, staving off elimination by converting a penalty corner with only four seconds remaining in regulation. The tying score was provided by Shanna Vitale, who notched a hat trick by accounting for all of Lock Haven's goals.

All of Vitale's goals occurred on penalty corners, with Becky Hinton and Cori Anderson garnering the assists. The game-tying sequence began when Lock Haven earned a penalty corner with 38 seconds remaining but was unable to execute. However, a high clear call on Bloomsburg goalkeeper Bethany Canner resulted in another shot for the Eagles.

"Certainly everyone on our team was very excited about that goal," said Lock Haven coach Pat Rudy. "It was one of those phenomenal things. I knew that if we got a corner that we could do it, and luckily we did. That really did give us an edge heading into overtime, but unfortunately it didn't work enough toward our advantage."

Lock Haven nearly capitalized on the momentum in the first 1:30 of overtime. Cori Anderson took a feed from Vitale three yards from the Bloomsburg cage, but Canner made a sprawling save to deny Anderson's shot and Lock Haven of the national title.

Bloomsburg controlled much of the game's early action, scoring first on a corner pass to Jess Kircher and keeping the Eagles from attempting a shot for the first 14 minutes of the championship bout. But Lock Haven converted two penalty corners later to seize a 2-1 half-time lead.

The first-half scoring theme resumed in the second half with both teams executing penalty corners. Bloomsburg tied the game when Bridgett Heckman redirected Platt's shot into the cage. Kircher followed within a minute to score her second goal of the afternoon on another corner with the help of Platt's fourth assist. The score appeared to be the game-winner before Lock Haven's last-second push forced the overtime session.

The penalty corners proved to be pivotal as all six goals during regulation were a result of each team's open opportunities.

"It was very difficult to defend their corners because they are very good," Hutchinson said of the Lock Haven's attack.

"We knew that they had two stick stoppers, so we were going to try to come out with two flyers because we didn't know which one the ball was going to go to. Then occasionally we would just put our defenders back in a flying trail. But they were still getting the shots off, and they are very good about hitting that corner. We were just trying to play hard at keeping the ball out of the circle and not giving them many corners."

The all-tournament team consisted of Platt, Kircher and Heckman for Bloomsburg and Vitale and Cheri Drysdale for Lock Haven.

CHAMPIONSHIP

Bloomsburg -- 1 -- 2 -- 1 -- 4

Lock Haven -- 2 -- 1 -- 0 -- 3

First half: B--Jess Kircher (Kelly Platt, Amy Swope), 6:35; L--Shanna Vitale (Cori Anderson, Becky Hinton), 20:53; L--Vitale (Anderson, Hinton), 24:59.

Second half: B--Bridgett Heckman (Platt), 43:12; B--Kircher (Platt), 65:39; L--Vitale (Anderson, Hinton), 69:56.

Overtime: B--Krista Engle (Platt), 75:57.

Shots: Bloomsburg 9, Lock Haven 8. Goalkeeper saves: Bloomsburg (Bethany Canner) 6, Loc Haven (Tara Beach) 7. Penalty corners: Bloomsburg 8, Lock Haven 7. Attendance: 400.