AMHERST, Mass. – Top-seeded Saint Joseph’s scored twice, once in each half, to advance to its seventh straight Atlantic 10 title game with a 2-1 win over No. 4 VCU Thursday in A-10 Field Hockey Championship semifinals at Gladchuk Field Hockey Complex.
 
The Hawks (14-4) will make their 10^th appearance in the championship final in league history, and will face off against the winner of the second semifinal between No.2 Massachusetts and No.3 Lock Haven. The title game is slated to start at Noon on Saturday.
 
For the first time this season, the Hawks gave up a goal to a conference opponent after VCU (10-9) drew the first penalty corner of the game in the 20th minute. The corner set up a touch by Litiana Field that led to a goal by Camila Rosenbrock for the first score of the game, giving the Rams a 1-0 lead in the second quarter.
 
The goal followed a defensive opening stanza, that provided few opportunities for either team to get into scoring position. The Rams opened the game with intense defensive pressure, holding the A-10 regular season champion Hawks shotless in the first quarter. But VCU mustered just two shots itself in the first 15 minutes.
 
The Hawks stepped up the offensive pressure with five second-quarter shots, leading to an equalizer from Leigh James who put a feed from A-10 Offensive Player of the Year Lily Santi past a couple VCU defenders to even the score just before halftime.
 
James and Santi connected again, this time for the eventual game winner in the 42^nd minute. The goal came on a classic tic-tac-toe play in the circle following one of Saint Joseph’s five third-quarter penalty corners.
 
Rams goalie Sheridan Messier, who only faced one shot on goal in the first half, did Yeomen’s work in the second half, registering five saves that also included seven second-half penalty corners by the hard-charging SJU offense. In all, the Hawks outshot VCU 16-4, and Saint Joseph’s goalkeeper Robin Bleekemolen made one save.