Last Time Out
The Pride are coming off an outstanding victory over Keene State in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Springfield Sophomore Meg Bradley (Cumberland, R.I.) scored the lone goal of the game to give the Pride a 1-0 advantage, and freshman goalkeeper Alison McCarthy and the vaunted Springfield defense managed to hold Keene State in check to secure the shutout and lift Springfield to victory. The win comes on the heels of the Prides fifth consecutive New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Championship which was won Sunday after the Pride knocked off Wellesley with a 2-1 victory.
The Series
This will mark the first time that Springfield and Tufts will face each other in their field hockey programs history.
Peaking in Tournament Time
The Springfield field hockey team comes into the NCAA tournament playing some of their best ball of the season as they have won 10 of their previous 12 games and have outscored their opponents by a 27 to 10 mark.
Last time in the tournament:
This marks the fifth consecutive year in which the Springfield field hockey team has been in the NCAA tournament. Including this season, Springfield has gone to eight NCAA tournaments in its Division-III era. Below is a list of the Pride’s results in NCAA play.
2007
Nov. 7 – vs. Kings College – W, 3-1
Nov. 10 – Christopher Newport – W, 2-1 (OT)
Nov. 11 – Salisbury – L, 1-2
2006
Nov. 8 – vs. New England College – L, 4-10
2005
Nov. 12 – vs. Middlebury – W, 2-1
Nov. 13 – at Bowdoin – L, 0-5
2004
Nov. 14 – vs. The College of New Jersey – L, 3-5
2000
Nov. 4 – vs. Bowdoin – W, 2-1
Nov. 5 – vs. College of New Jersey – W, 2-0
Nov. 11 – vs. Rowan – W, 2-1
Nov. 12 – vs. William Smith – L, 0-1
1999
Nov. 6 – Bowdoin – W, 4-1
Nov. 7 – Rowan(N.J.) – W, 2-1
Nov. 13 – at The College of New Jersey, L, 2-3
1997
Nov. 8 – Messiah – L, 2-3 (OT)
Conference Standouts:
The Pride had four members of this year’s team named to the NEWMAC All-conference team as senior standout Jane Kelleher (Chatham, Mass.) and Jill Urtz (Verona, N.Y.) both garnered first team honors. While teammates Meg Bradley (Cumberland, R.I.) and Katherine McCarthy (Conway, Mass.) were recognized as second team honorees.
Leader of the Pride:
Springfield’s head coach Melissa Rogers was named the NEWMAC Field Hockey Coach of the Year and is now in her fifth year with the Pride. In five seasons, Rogers has compiled a 94-23 record, good for an unheard of winning percentage of .801, while leading the Pride to the NCAA Tournament in all five seasons.
After nine years as head coach of the Pride, Melissa Sharpe has continued the tradition of winning on the field hockey turf, posting an impressive 130-68 record, good for a winning percentage of .656 at the helm of her alma mater. Read more.