Upper Montclair, NJ (11/16/02) - Senior midfielder KATIE COLEMAN (Hopewell Junction, NY/John Jay) scored just 40 seconds into overtime to lift eighth-seeded Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute past fifth-seeded host Montclair State University, 2-1, and into the title game of the 2002 Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Mid-Atlantic Field Hockey Championship.

RPI (13-6), which advanced to the semifinals after a 2-1 double-overtime win at top-seeded William Smith College earlier this week, will face the winner of tonight's second semifinal game between sixth-seeded St. Lawrence University and seventh-seeded College Misericordia. The championship is slated for Sunday, Nov. 17, at 3:00 p.m. at MSU's Sprague Field. Montclair State, the defending ECAC Mid-Atlantic champion, finishes the 2002 season at 12-6 overall.

Tonight's contest was scoreless until RPI freshman forward LAURIE YOUNG (Camden, NY/Camden) connected at 61:09, deflecting home a shot by Coleman for her second goal of the year and a 1-0 lead. RPI was 5:07 away from advancing when MSU junior attacker SARAH LEVINE (Pompton Plains, NJ/Pequannock) knocked in a loose ball at the left post for her team-leading 10th goal of the campaign to tie the contest. Coleman then scored on the only shot of the extra session, tallying her eighth goal of the season following a rush on the MSU cage.

RPI senior goalkeeper CATHY HOTCHKISS (White Plains, NY/White Plains) finished with 10 saves tonight, while MSU junior netminder TRISHA WINKLE (Forked River, NJ/Lacey Township) registered five saves. Montclair outshot Rensselaer, 16-11, and had nine penalty corners to RPI's seven.