#2 VCU made their first trip to the Atlantic 10 Field Hockey Championship game in school history. The Rams faced-off against the top-seeded Saint Joseph’s who was ranked #10 nationally and the defending A-10 champions. Both teams gave each other their best with only one goal deciding who would hoist the silverware.

Shots On Lockdown

The first half was mostly a defensive standoff with limited chances on goal. Svea Sturm took VCU’s first shot and the ball spun wide of the goal. Bentley Zabicki fired a shot 5 minutes later that was saved by SJU’s goalie Vicotria Kammerinke.

After Joey Helder was shown a green card, Saint Joesph’s was rewarded two consecutive penalty corners but no goal. On the other end, VCU was working on finding a breakthrough over Saint Joe’s defense. In the final seconds of the 29th minute, the defending champions broke through the Rams.

Hawks Take Advantage

Kathrin Bentz collected the ball off the penalty corner and found Helder near the post. Helder got her stick on the ball and tipped it by Sasha Elliott for the opening goal. 1-0 for the Hawks at Ellen Ryan Field had the team and their fans feeling good at halftime.

VCU’s leading scorer Emily McNamara got her offense going in the 2nd half. McNamara struck two shots on target that were saved by Kammerinke. Saint Joesph’s stay composed and fired back on Elliot in goal but the VCU goalie made the necessary saves.

A Successful A-10 Title Defense

Lauren Kaup saw a yellow card in the 47th minute. Both teams made substitutions to stay energetic during the final minutes of the 2nd half. Helder was shown a yellow card after an SJU foul in the 60th minute.

For the final 27 minutes of the game, VCU was held down without a shot attempt. Saint Joseph’s embraced each other as the Hawks won the A-10 Field Hockey Championship with a 1-0 win over VCU at Ellen Ryan Field.

Saint Joseph’s outshot VCU 9-5 and had 5 penalty corners. Sasha Elliot made 5 saves against the Hawks. VCU Field Hockey finishes the 2018 season at 12-7 overall.

Mark Turner

Mark graduated from VCU in 2014 with a major in Criminal Justice and a minor in Psychology. He started as a fan of the Black & Gold in the stands his freshman year. Mark was known as "Kazie" for his charismatic fandom with the VCU's student organization the Rowdy Rams. While at VCU he gained experience in sports media with WVCW on a sports radio show called Rowdy Radio. Following graduation, Mark continued crafting his social media skills with the Richmond Kickers while also handling VCU coverage. He is a true fan of the Rams and vocally passionate on and off camera. After the final whistle, you can probably find him at local RVA bar or brewery enjoying a drink and conversation.