BEVERLY, Mass. – After striking early with four goals in the opening quarter, the No. 2 Roger Williams University Field Hockey team advanced to the Conference of New England (CNE) Field Hockey Championship match and will take on top-seeded Endicott for the title in Beverly.
Since 2013, when RWU started the program, the two teams have met a total of 21 times, with the Gulls leading the all-time series 19-2. The Hawks only have one win over the past four seasons under head coach Jill Reeve, on the road in Beverly in a 3-2 win during the regular season in 2023.
The Hawks are looking for their second conference title under Reeve after winning the first title in program history last season in a 2-1 victory over the University of New England in overtime. The Hawks have a 6-6 record all-time in the conference tournament, earning their first win in 2019. Reeve has led the Hawks to a 55-26 record during her time in Bristol, going 17-6 in conference play.
The Gulls are led by Jodi Cipolla, who has tallied a 239-115 career record with the Gulls and a 122-30 record in conference play at Endicott. Cipolla has led the team to three NCAA Tournament Second Round appearances, most recently coming in 2021, and has had six NCAA Division III Tournament appearances.
The Hawks used a blistering start in their Semifinal match against the No. 3 seed UNE, as they cruised to a 6-1 victory. The Hawks saw a hat trick by CNE Offensive Player of the Year Chelsea King (Albany, N.Y.), who tallied three goals and an assist, as she surpassed the 200-career point mark in the match. The Hawks also saw a pair of goals by Hannah Timbrouck (Kingston, N.Y.) and Anna Kruggel (Scituate, Mass.), who scored off a penalty corner.
Endicott comes in after a 3-2 overtime win over No. 4 Western New England in the other Semifinal. Sophomore Riley Perkins scored the game-winning goal on a penalty stroke just 38 seconds into the second overtime for the Gulls. Tori Swanson and Lily Johnson also tallied goals for the Gulls, with goalkeeper Faith Minckene making 12 saves.
Roger Williams enters the match, led offensively by King, who leads the conference in points and goals and ranks second behind teammate Maddy Monahan (Bristol, N.H.) in assists in the conference. King has 28 goals and 10 assists for 66 total points on the season. King also has Monahan, who was a member of the All-Conference First Team in the midfield, ranking second on the team with 25 total points with seven goals and 11 assists. Timbrouck, a Second Team selection, ranks third on the squad with 24 points.
Defensively, the Hawks' back line is anchored by McKenzie Foley (Hanover, Mass.), who was honored on the First Team this season, as well as Ally Orlofski (Lynnfield, Mass.) and Kruggel, who were both Third Team selections. All three have had a defensive save, as well as Elizabeth Duquette (Pittsford, N.Y.).
They stand in front of Second Team All-CNE Selection Hannah Brazil (Sandwich, Mass.), who has tallied 72 saves son 103 shots faced on the season, allowing 22 goals for a .766 save percentage with 1.33 goals allowed per game.
For the Gulls, they will turn to a defense consisting of Goalkeeper of the Year, Minickene, who has 0.67 goals against average with 107 saves, leading the Gulls to a 19-1 record with six shutouts, with a 0.899 save percentage. The Gulls also have Defender of the Year Riley Perkins, who has a pair of defensive saves for the Gulls, starting in 17 games.
Offensively, the Gulls are powered by a combination of Swanson and Reagan Hicks, who have 50 and 48 points respectively, with 22 and 20 goals respectively. The Gulls also have Maddy Dengler, who tallied 43 points on the season with 17 goals and nine assists.
Roger Williams (15-5, 6-1 CNE) will look to avenge their loss earlier in the season to #8 Endicott, 2-1 back on Oct. 18, on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 1:00 pm on North Field in Beverly.
