PHILADELPHIA – After an early fourth quarter goal by Madison Zalewski and an empty net insurance goal from Cosima Perleth, Old Dominion field hockey defeated #2 UConn, 2-1, to secure the BIG EAST Championship title in Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon.
“What a team we have!” Head Coach Andrew Griffiths said. “They deserve to be champions. They played with passion, energy, focus and this is exactly the best of what team sport is about. This team has wonderful personality and chemistry and there are no superstars, it is just a special group. I am so incredibly proud of them, and happy for them. We played two very good opponents this weekend, both big teams with very talented players, and we just took care of business. Our players were purposeful and relentless in their preparation, and in their performance.”
Zalewski scored the first goal of the game at 12:12 after an ODU penalty corner, her stick reflecting off of a shot from Serena Langendoen. After UConn pulled its goalie, a miscommunication from the Huskie’s defense allowed for Perleth to score on an empty net, securing the Monarch’s victory.
Old Dominion has defeated three nationally ranked teams this season.
UConn (15-2) collect...