by Jennifer Anilowski
URI Sports Communications
Despite being picked to finish fifth (of eight teams) in the Atlantic 10 Preseason Coaches' Poll, the Rhode Island field hockey team continuously turned heads throughout the 2006 season, posting its best Atlantic 10 finish since 1996. With a conference record of 4-3, the Rams finished in a three-way tie for second in the league and earned a trip to the A-10 tournament for the first time since 2000. Rhody ended the season with an overall record of 8-10.
The season started slowly for URI, with consecutive losses to Sacred Heart (4-1 on Aug. 27) and Maine (3-2 on Aug. 28). The Rams picked up their first win of the season on the road with a victory over Harvard on Sept. 1. After a scoreless first half, sophomore Jamie Adams (Langhorn, Pa.) put Rhode Island up, 1-0. The Crimson rallied back, evening the score with 36 seconds remaining on the clock. When it appeared as though the game would go into overtime, Adams fired a shot past Harvard's Siobhan Connolly to win the game, 2-1, with just three seconds left in regulation.
The remainder of URI's season was paced by a see-saw of wins and losses. After winning their home-opener against Fairfield (1-0 on Sept. 2), the Rams were off for two weeks before traveling to Rider on Sept. 16. There, URI lost its third game of the season, falling to the Broncs, 3-1. Rhody recovered with a 3-2 win at Monmouth the following day before being defeated at Brown, 4-2, on Sept. 20.
The team once again bounced back with a convincing 4-0 shutout victory at Siena on Oct. 1. Four different Rams scored in the win while Rhody outshot the Saints, 23-7. After spending two weeks on the road, the team returned to URI to open their Atlantic 10 slate with four-consecutive home games.
Rhode Island suffered its first shutout defeat of the season in a conference-opening 1-0 loss to Saint Joseph's on Oct. 6. This did not seem to hurt the team's momentum, however, as six different Rams put together a three-goal performance in a 3-1 upset victory over Temple just two days later. The URI win ended a seven-game unbeaten streak for the Owls, who had allowed just four goals in their previous seven games combined.
A week later, the Rams lost a tough battle to 18th-ranked Richmond (1-0 on Oct. 13). In all, Richmond outshot Rhode Island, 13-4, while the Rams held a 5-3 advantage in penalty corners. Sophomore Laura Hackenbreger (Leola, Pa.) had two defensive saves for URI while redshirt junior Meghan Daly (Auburn, Mass.) also added one defensive save. Junior goalkeeper M.J. Britt (Swoyersville, Pa.) made a total of nine saves in the loss and became one of just two goalies all season to limit Richmond to a goal or less.
Two days later, Rhode Island posted its third shutout victory of the season with a 3-0 blanking of Saint Louis. Freshman Jill Powers (Leominster, Mass.) and sophomore Annie Kane (Rhinebeck, N.Y.) each notched a goal and an assist in the win for the Rams, while Britt recorded seven saves against the Billikens.
After an impressive weekend against Richmond and Saint Louis, Britt received her first A-10 Player of the Week honor on Monday, Oct. 16.
Rhode Island went 1-2 over its next three games with a loss at La Salle (4-1 on Oct. 20), a win at West Chester (3-1 on Oct. 22) and a loss to No. 13 Providence (3-0 on Oct. 25).
With a bid to the A-10 tournament on the line, the Rams traveled to Massachusetts for a game that would decide which team would go on to the postseason and which team's postseason chances would end there in Amherst, Mass. on Oct. 28.
After playing the first 12 minutes of the game in a torrential downpour, thunder and lightening moved in and play was delayed for a half hour. When the teams took the field again, Massachusetts finished the half with a 5-2 advantage in shots and a 3-1 advantage in corners.
For the Rams, the first half was just a preview of things to come as the Minutewomen returned from the break and not only held an 8-0 advantage in corners, but outshot Rhody, 22-3.
As she had done all season, Powers came up big when it really mattered, scoring her team-leading seventh goal of the season with 20:51 remaining in the game. With the help of a solid defensive line, Britt turned away all 14 UMass shots and picked up her fourth shutout of the season as the Rams clinched their first conference tournament spot since 2000.
Two days later, Powers was named A-10 Co-Rookie of the Week.
The Rams then traveled to Richmond, Va., for the A-10 Championship where they entered the tournament as the #3 seed and faced #2 Saint Joseph's in the semifinals on Nov. 3. Despite a strong performance by Britt, who made five saves for Rhode Island, the Rams fell to the Hawks, 3-0, and ended their 2006 campaign with an overall record of 8-10.
Britt, who led the conference in total saves (138) for the second-straight year, was named to the All-Conference First Team and picked up the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year Award. Adams and junior Jen Cetenich (Seekonk, Mass.) were named to the Second Team while Powers landed a spot on the All-Rookie squad and head coach Stacey Bean was tabbed Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year.
Britt posted the sixth-best save percentage in the nation (.798) and was ranked ninth nationally with 7.67 saves per game. She also finished fourth in the conference with four shutouts and averaged 1.94 goals against, marking the fifth-best GAA in the league.
Adams ended the season third on the team in scoring with nine points (three goals, three assists) behind Cetenich, who registered 15 points on six goals and three assists. Powers led the team with 16 points (seven goals, two assists) and was second in the Atlantic 10 with five game-winning goals.
Britt and Adams also were named to the 2006 National Field Hockey Coaches' Association All-Northeastern Region Second Team.
