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Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus Athletics

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The Devils huddle together before Wednesday's victory
4
Winner FDU-Florham FDUF (15-7)
3
Utica UTICA_FH (18-3)
Winner
FDU-Florham FDUF
(15-7)
4
Final
3
Utica UTICA_FH
(18-3)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 F
FDU-Florham FDUF 1 2 1 4
Utica UTICA_FH 1 2 0 3

Game Recap: Field Hockey | | by: Bryan Jackson

Devils Field Hockey Earns Thrilling 4-3 Victory and Advances to NCAA Second Round

UTICA, N.Y. – The FDU-Florham field hockey team's dream season will continue after the Devils earned a hard-fought 4-3 overtime victory against #17 Utica College in the opening round of the 2014 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship on Wednesday evening.

For the third-straight contest, senior midfielder Niki Ikeda (Lawrence, N.J.) netted the game-winning goal for the Devils. Undoubtedly, this score was the biggest of the Freedom Conference Offensive Player of the Year's illustrious career, as it sent the Devils (15-7) past the Pioneers (18-3) and into the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the program's history.

The Devils will face off against Skidmore College in the round of 16 this Saturday, November 15th at 2 p.m. at Bowdoin College.

On Wednesday, Utica kicked off the see-saw game by scoring the first goal 4:35 into play. Louis Steele-Norton tipped in a long shot attempt by Alaina Stojkovski, which gave the Pioneers a 1-0 lead.

FDU-Florham goalkeeper Amy Defnet (Poolesville, Md.), along with the Devils defense, locked in and thwarted several dangerous charges by the Pioneers to keep the deficit at one goal.

In the 29th minute, the Devils offense warmed up when senior Gabriella D'Amico (Mullica Hill, N.J.) fired a blast off of Utica goalkeeper Kells Casey that rebounded to junior defender Nicole Hall (Collingswood, N.J.). Hall promptly netted the equalizer with her first goal of the season and the game proceeded to intermission deadlocked at one-goal aside.

Utica stormed out in the second half, as Empire8 Player of the Year Hannah Mackey sent two shots on goal at Defnet, but the Devils goalie fended both away. FDU-Florham held Mackey, who scored 36 times in 2014, without a goal for only the third time this season.

At the 41:11 mark, the Devils went ahead 2-1 when Ikeda sent a blast off of the post and D'Amico smacked in the rebound. However, the lead was short-lived because 16 seconds later, Steele-Norton tipped in another shot by Stojkovski to even the score at 2-2.

Two minutes later, the Devils went back in front when Alicia Grotyohann (Lafayette, N.J.) took a post-feed from Erin O'Connell (Linwood, N.J.) and sent it past Casey. The play began with a great penalty-corner setup from sophomore Kim Davis (Long Branch, N.J.) and concluded with the Devils leading 3-2.

Unfortunately, the Pioneers fought back and tied the game for a third time when Colleen Dowling sent a pass from Mackey into the back of the cage. The game remained tied for the remainder of regulation and headed into overtime.

Just 2:11 into the extra period, it was the senior Ikeda who supplied the heroics for the third-straight game by taking a feed from O'Connell and blasting it into the goal resulting in the victory. Ikeda's goal handed Utica their first home loss of the season and catapulted the Devils into the Sweet 16.

Defnet was outstanding in cage for the Devils and stopped eight shots , while Casey made two saves for the Pioneers in defeat.

Next up for the Devils:
FDU-Florham heads up to Brunswick, ME to take on Skidmore College on Saturday, November 15th at 2 p.m.

 
 
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