Huskies Repeat NCAA Field Hockey Champs

LOWELL, MA--Bloomsburg University won the 2007 NCAA Division II field hockey championship with a 5-2 win over UMass-Lowell (UML) on Sunday afternoon. The NCAA title was the 14th for head coach Jan Hutchinson. It was also the second straight title for Bloomsburg, the fifth in the last six years and ninth in the last 12.

The game was also a bit of revenge for the Huskies who were beaten by UML in the 2005 NCAA title game.

"I'm very excited for this group of players," said Hutchinson. "Every team is different and this group of players fought hard throughout the year, overcoming several losses, to get here. But, ultimately, I think it was those losses that helped us get to where we wanted to be and that is NCAA champions."

Jamie Vanartsdalen Celebrates After Scoring

After an early penalty corner by the River Hawks (19-3), the Huskies midfield took control of the game and kept the ball in the Lowell side of the field for much of the remainder of the half.

That dominance resulted in a flury of goals for the Huskies (21-4) in a five-minute stretch that put the game out of reach for the home squad.

Bloomsburg's first goal came on the third of three consecutive penalty corner attempts for the Huskies. After an initial shot was knocked down by the UMass-Lowell goalie Danielle Doder, Amy Gilbert banged home the goal at the 7:40 mark.

The Huskies added to its lead a few minutes later when Chelsea Due scored by deflecting a shot from Jamie Vanartsdalen to make it a 2-0 game.

Vanartsdalen put Bloomsburg in front, 3-0, when she scored her Division II single-season record 34th goal with the assist going Due. Overall, in the first half, the Huskies held an 8-3 edge in shots and a 6-1 edge in penalty corners.

The River Hawks finally got on the board in the 40th minute when Jill Tierney scored off a Jackie Moulton assist after a scramble in front of the goal pulling UML to within 3-1.

Bloomsburg went back in front by three goals when freshman Brieann Wolfe, the PSAC Rookie of the Year, scored with Whitney Miller getting the assist.

UML once again cut the deficit back to three goals when Moulton scored on a penalty with Missy Seeleey getting the assist.

The Huskies, though, put the game out of reach in the 65th minute when Vanartsdalen capped her tremendous season with a goal from an assist by Gilbert.

The Huskies With the NCAA trophy

"Our defense played well today," Hutchinson continued. "Whitney Miller had an outstanding game and our entire defense played well."

Offensively, Bloomsburg finished the year with 132 goals scored, smashing the previous record of 108 goals scored.

"I knew we had some very good scoring threats coming into the season," Hutchinson commented. "I just never knew we would be this good. It does go to show that we had a lot of depth in that area."

Named to the All-Tournament team were Ashley Heckard, Vanartsdalen, Miller and Due. Vanartsdalen ends her season with 35 goals and 19 assists for 89 points. The 35 goals are a new Division II single-season record as are her 89 points.