Field Hockey looked to win the ECAC Mid-Atlantic Tournament on Sunday, which would cap off one of the most improbable runs in the playoffs this year.

The streak started for the Red Hawks last Wednesday, when they faced the first seeded, nationally ranked William Smith Herons. The Herons struck first when senior forward Sheila McKevitt scored off an assist from midfielder Amanda Arpé. The William Smith goal was the only one of the first half, and RPI faced a one goal deficit going into halftime.

The Red Hawks came out firing in the second half, and only nine minutes in, junior Jessica Butler tied the score at one. The second frame saw the Red Hawks take seven shots on net, a vast change from the two in the first. After Butler’s goal, though, RPI could not put a ball past Heron’s goaltender Jessica Kulesa.

The teams were strong defensively in the first overtime, each only allowing two shots. William Smith had the best scoring chance with 47 seconds left, when Neely Weekman was awarded a penalty stroke. Weekman sent a shot to the lower corner, but the Red Hawks’ goaltender Cathy Hotchkiss made a spectacular kick save to send the game into a second overtime.

The game remained tied until the 92nd minute when Rensselaer junior Mary Roy played a breakaway towards Kulesa. Kulesa made the initial save, but failed to control the rebound and Roy tapped it in for the game winner.

The double overtime victory gave Rensselaer a spot in the semi-finals versus Montclair State. This contest remained scoreless until the 61st minute, when RPI freshman Laurie Young deflected a shot from Katie Coleman into the back net. With less than four minutes left, MSU struck back, with attacker Sarah Levine scoring off of a deflected rebound to send the game into overtime.

The Rensselaer attack was stellar during overtime, immediately putting pressure on the on the Montclair State cage. Only 40 seconds into the extra frame, Coleman knocked the ball in from the left side. Rensselaer’s victory advanced them to the tournament finals versus St. Lawrence.

The finals started off differently for RPI than the other rounds. Unlike the two previous games of defensive battles, the offense controlled the pace. St. Lawrence’s Jenny Heffler tallied the first two goals of the game, capitalizing on a perfect pass and a penalty corner. The Red Hawks pulled within one goal 19 seconds before the half, when Sarah Salinger tallied her third goal of the season.

Both defenses held strong throughout the second half, as neither team could find the back of the net. Saints’ goaltender Amelia Gomez made several key saves to preserve the lead for St. Lawrence.

The Red Hawks end their season with a record of 13-7. Their second place finish in the ECAC Mid-Atlantic tournament was a success, especially since they had to defeat the nationally seeded William Smith Herons. The Red Hawks also had players named to the 2002 STX/National Field Hockey Coaches Association North Atlantic Region teams. Colman was named to the first team and is eligible for All-American recognition, and senior Tatianna Russell was named to the second team.