Box Score
NOVEMBER 5, 2016

MONARCHS CLAIM MAC FREEDOM TITLE WITH 1-0 DOUBLE OVERTIME VICTORY AT FDU-FLORHAM

MADISON, N.J. --- New Jersey native Haley Tomaszewski scored the game-winning goal off an assist from Anna Morgan in the second overtime period to give the second-seeded King's College field hockey team a 1-0 victory over host and top-seeded FDU-Florham in the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom Championship on Saturday evening at Robert T. Shields Field in Madison, N.J.

The Monarchs avenged their only two conference losses of the season en route to the Championship and improved their record to 13-6. King's earns the conference's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament and claims the program's third conference championship and first since winning back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007.

It was only fitting that a defender for the Monarchs would score the game-winning goal with the way the defense played all game and for that matter all year long. After denying the Devil offense from finding the back of the cage all night the Monarchs found themselves in a favorable situation in the 92^nd minute when Morgan fed a pass to Tomaszewski on the left side of the circle. Tomaszewski then knocked the ball past the FDU-Florham goalkeeper and into the back of the cage setting off a celebration by the Monarch players, coaches, and fans in attendance.

Senior goalie Paige Tedik was named the Most Valuable Player after making six saves in the championship game, including a fantastic stop of a penalty stroke by two-time Freedom Conference "Offensive Player of the Year" Kim Davis in the first overtime period.

The Devils tried to gain an early advantage on the Monarchs like they did in the regular season meeting but a shot by Jess Pietracatella off a penalty corner was blocked 90 seconds in. King's responded by receiving a corner of their own but Caitlin Wood had her shot blocked by the Devils defense. FDU-Florham, who entered the game ranked first in the nation in penalty corners per game, received another corner late in the 4^th minute but Tedik was able to swat away a shot from the 2016 "Defensive Player of the Year" Erin O'Connell. The Monarchs responded with two consecutive penalty corners of their own but Kelsey Gabriele had her shot blocked and then Wood's shot was saved by the FDU-Florham keeper to keep the game scoreless. In the final minute before halftime Tedik made another wonderful save on a shot from Davis that kept the game scoreless heading into the break.

The Monarchs came out strong to begin the second half and received a corner a few minutes in but Wood had her shot blocked. FDU-Florham responded with a heavy dose of offense keeping the ball on their offensive side of the field for the majority of the second half but the Monarchs defense held and kept the Devils from scoring. In the second half the Devils received eight penalty corners but only were able to take five shots including just one on goal. That one shot on goal came in the 54^th minute when Tedik made another fantastic save on a breakaway opportunity for the Devils.

In a very exciting seven-on-seven overtime the Monarchs were able to record the first shot but it went wide. In the 80^th minute things looked bleak for King's when the Devils were awarded a penalty stroke. However as she had all night Tedik came up huge in goal pushing Davis' shot away from the cage and keeping the game scoreless.

In the second overtime period the King's defense blocked two shots from Davis in the first 90 seconds. After a penalty corner for the Monarchs in the 90^th minute Sarah Zbierski had her shot from the top of the circle blocked. The Devils took the ball down to the offensive end before the Monarchs caused a turnover and countered setting up the game-winner.

Haley Tomaszewski scored her first goal of the season and second of her career while Anna Morgan recorded her second assist of the season and fourth of her career. Paige Tedik got the win in goal making six saves.

FDU-Florham held a 15-8 advantage in shots and a 13-8 advantage in penalty corners.

King's stepped up their level of play in the post season by defeating two opponents they lost to in the resular season. The Monarchs lost to Manhattanville 3-1 earlier in the year but King's rebounded for  3-0 semi-final win on Wednesday. After falling to FDU at home two weeks ago, the Monarchs turned the tables on the favored Devils to claim the top prize in the conference,

The Monarchs will now wait until Sunday night at 10:30 p.m. when the NCAA releases the field for the 2016 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championships to learn where and when they will play next.