Mercy Beat D’Youville 1-0 in Overtime to Reach First-Ever ECC Final
Mercy keep making history. The Mavericks beat D’Youville 1-0 in overtime on Wednesday to reach the first-ever East Coast Conference field hockey championship final, and they did it in front of their own fans at Mercy Field in Dobbs Ferry.
Alyssa Benvengo got the winner in the 69th minute, deflecting in a shot from Charlotte Sabert. Nine minutes into overtime, one touch, and the top seeds were through. Kaylise McClure made 10 saves at the other end to keep the shutout intact, and D’Youville, who’d already lost to Mercy once this season, couldn’t find a way past her.
The win is Mercy’s tenth of the season, a program record, and their eighth in a row, also a program record. Not bad for a side that went 5-12 last season in their final year in the NE10. The Mavericks shared the first-ever ECC regular-season title with Roberts Wesleyan and took the top seed on the tiebreaker. Now they’re one win from the first ECC crown.
Head coach Marissa Spinazzola, named ECC Coach of the Year earlier this week, has turned this group into winners. Sabert, who set up the winner, is tied for the team lead with seven goals this season. Freshman Addison Testa leads the side with 17 points. McClure, meanwhile, passed 300 career saves earlier this season and keeps producing when it matters most.
D’Youville finish at 7-11. The Saints, in only their second season of varsity field hockey, pushed the top seeds all the way to overtime in a semifinal. That’s a decent season by any measure, and they’ll be back.
The final
Mercy host the final on Saturday, November 14 at noon ET at Mercy Field. Their opponents will be the winners of Wednesday evening’s second semifinal between No. 2 Roberts Wesleyan and No. 3 Dominican. Roberts Wesleyan, 10-8, finished level with Mercy in the regular season and only lost the top seed on the tiebreaker. Dominican, 7-10, took the third seed after beating D’Youville in overtime last Saturday.
Whoever comes through, Mercy will fancy their chances at home. Eight straight wins, a record-breaking season, and a crowd behind them. The first ECC champions will be crowned on Saturday.
