RICHMOND, Va. — No. 3 Saint Joseph's got bookend goals from Sara Hayes to clinch a 4-2 victory over second-seeded Lock Haven in the Atlantic 10 Conference Field Hockey Championship semifinals.
 
The Hawks advance to their fifth straight A-10 title game where they will face top-seeded VCU, 1-0 winners over Richmond in the first semifinal. The championship game will face off at noon Saturday and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
Hayes put the Hawks up a third of the way through the first quarter, scoring at 5:42 off a pass from Kacie Patton. SJU remained aggressive and seven minutes late, still in the first quarter, took a 2-0 lead thanks to Anna Miller, who with an assist from Lily Santi, put the Hawks up 2-0 with her sixth goal this year.
 
But the Bald Eagles (4-2), who beat Saint Joseph's two weeks prior in a 2-1 shootout victory, kept the Hawks of the scoreboard for the rest of the half and cut into the lead in the second quarter on a Martina Spengenberg unassisted goal at 25:39 to make it a one-goal game at halftime.
 
Patton and Santi combined to set up a quick response, by Emily Peters, who scored her third goal of the season just 42 seconds into the second half, giving SJU a 3-1 lead.
 
Following an unsuccessful penalty corner late in the third quarter, Lock Haven was awarded a penalty stroke, which Jazmin Palma put into the cage to cut the lead back to one goal at 3-2. But less than two minutes later, Hayes gave the Hawks some insurance heading into the fourth-quarter with an unassisted goal in the closing seconds of the third.
 
Saint Joseph's controlled the shots, 19-16 and Robin Bleekemolen recorded nine saves for the Hawks to seven by Bald Eagle keeper Joaquina Orlandini. SJU also held a 7-5 lead in penalty corners.
 
Miller led the Hawks with five shots, four on goal and Palma and Amy Stevens also have five shots each, with four on goal for Lock Haven.