BOX SCORE

WASHINGTON, D.C. (11/5/10) – The Colgate field hockey team saw its season come to an end on Friday afternoon with an 8-1 loss to American in the semifinals of the Patriot League Tournament.

Colgate (5-12) got its lone goal from rookie Halle Biggar (Pepper Pike, Ohio) with the assist going to senior Laura Denenga (Harare, Zimbabwe). Senior captain Kirsten Lalli (Pound Ridge, N.Y.) tried to keep the Raiders in the game with 17 saves. She finished the year with eight games at or above 10 saves a game. She reached 17 for the fifth time. Senior captain Allison Waugh (Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.) came up big a couple of times with two key defensive saves.

American (16-3) proved to be too much for Colgate. Melissa Casale and Shelly Montgomery led the way with a pair of goals each, while Ann van Erp tallied two assists on the day. Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year Christine Fingerluth was one of six players with a goal. Hannah Weitzman made one save in 52 minutes of action and Stephanie Burry got 17 minutes in net and didn't face a shot.

Fingerluth got the scoring started just 1:32 into the game with an unassisted goal and from there on it was all Eagles. Montgomery then earned back-to-back goals to make it 3-0, 17 minutes left in the first half. Jenn Bradley and Alex Mackin increased the lead to 5-0 before the half.

The second half opened with a goal from Casale. She scored four minutes into the second frame on a two-player breakaway to push the lead to 6-0. Colgate got one back with Biggar's fifth of the year. The goal came 12:22 into the final half and she was able to put home a loose ball in front of the cage on a Denenga shot during a penalty corner.

The Eagles closed out the scoring with goals from Gina Hoffmann and Casale to come away with the 8-1 win and advance to the Patriot League title game. American with host either Lafayette or Bucknell in the championship game. Those two teams will be play later today.

Colgate was out shot by a large margin at 44-3 and the Eagles had a commanding 16-3 advantage in penalty corners.

NOTES: The Raiders finished with five victories … three seniors played in their final game in a Raider uniform … Laura Denenga, Kirsten Lalli and Allison Waugh finished their careers … Lalli ended the year with 183 saves to lead the Patriot League … Denenga led the Raiders with 22 points on nine goals and four assists … Waugh had a goal and three defensive save, including two today … all three seniors played and started in all of Colgate's 17 games.