Field Hockey | 11/9/2017 8:05:00 AM

Montclair, NJ – The Montclair State field hockey team will face Franklin & Marshall in the second round of the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship on Saturday, November 11 at Christopher Newport University.

The Red Hawks (16-3) and Diplomats (16-3) will be the second of two contests on Saturday at 2:00 pm with host CNU (17-1) taking on Kean University (20-2) at 11:00 am. The winners advance to Sunday's third round for a berth in the Final Four in Louisville, KY on November 18-19.

It will be just the second meeting between Montclair State and Franklin & Marshall and the first in 13 years. The Red Hawks registered a 3-1 win at home back on September 19, 2004 as Jen Soss scored twice in the first 12 minutes of the game. Adding to the intrigue of the game will be MSU head coach Eileen O'Reilly going up against her alma mater for the first time. O'Reilly was a four-year starter and captain for F&M earning All-Region and All-Conference honors. She finished as the school's all-time leader in assists (35) and game-winning goals (8) while ranking in the Top 5 for points (95) and goals scored (30).

Franklin and Marshall advanced to the second round after knocking off Misericordia at home in the first round on Wednesday afternoon, 2-0. Annie Horsley and Sarah Schannauer each scored in the second half as the Diplomats did not allow the Cougars a single shot in the contest.

F&M is making its 10^th appearance overall in the NCAA Tournament and its fourth straight. The victory put the Diplomats in the Sweet 16 for the fourth consecutive year. Franklin & Marshall earned its way into the NCAA Tournament via the automatic bid after capturing the Centennial Conference title with a 2-1 win over Johns Hopkins.

The Diplomats have been solid at both ends of the field this season outscoring their opponents 60-17 with nine shutouts. Erin Coverdale leads the team with 15 goals and 35 points with Emily Nagle next at 27 points on 11 goals and five assists. Horsley is also a double-digit goal scorer with 10 while Sydney Cole has registered 21 points. Lily Mynott and Nicole Bodo have a combined 10 goals and 24 points. In goal, Ilianna Santangelo has stopped 69 shots and has a 0.85 goals against average and .821 save percentage in 19 games.

Montclair State, which received a first-round bye, is in its seventh NCAA Tournament which includes a run to the national title game in 2012. MSU made its first trip in 2003 and again in 2005 before going three consecutive years beginning in 2011. The first three appearances all began with home game wins against Western New England (2003), Washington & Lee (2005) and Rhodes College (2011). Each time, Montclair fell in the second round.

In 2012, the Red Hawks entered the NCAAs as one of the top seeds and defeated Christopher Newport and Rochester to advance to the Final Four in Geneva, NY at William Smith College. Montclair defeated Mary Washington in the national semifinals before falling to Tufts 2-1 in the title contest. The next year, Montclair hosted the second and third rounds at Sprague Field. MSU beat Mount Holyoke and fell one game short of a second Final Four berth in a 1-0 loss to eventual national champion Bowdoin. Last season, MSU returned to the national tournament and lost to St. Joseph's College (ME) in the first round 1-0.

MSU has won four of its last five contests heading into the NCAA Tournament. Montclair opened the year with 12 straight victories before suffering its first loss against perennial power and NJAC champion TCNJ on October 7. The Red Hawks fell at Rowan the following week but bounced back winning the next four contests including a 3-2 overtime win at Kean as it handed the Cougars their first loss of the season. Montclair also defeated third-ranked Babson College, 2-1.

Montclair State is averaging 2.53 goals per game and has outscored its opponents 48-22 this season. Senior All-NJAC First Team selection KAITLYN STRUSS leads the attack with 16 goals and 33 points. Junior AMBER HASLETT, another First-Team All-Conference pick is next at 30 points including 13 goals. Junior KAILEY DALGAUER has chipped in with eight goals and four assists while sophomore KELLY WATSON is fourth on the team in scoring with a team-best seven assists and 15 points.

Defensively, junior MARISSA SICONOLFI, MSU's third First-Team All-NJAC pick, anchors the defense that has allowed 1.16 goals per game with five shutouts. Siconolfi has four defensive saves to her credit. Senior goalkeeper KAITLIN MAGUIRE has been solid in the cage with 77 saves, a 1.14 goals against average and three shutouts.

The Red Hawks have also come up big in close contests posting an 8-2 mark in one-goal games, including a 6-0 mark in overtime contests.

The two share common opponents in Rowan University and Muhlenberg College. Franklin & Marshall defeated Rowan 2-1 in overtime back on September 3 and blanked Muhlenberg 3-0 on September 16. Meanwhile, Montclair State posted a 5-1 win against Muhlenberg in late September and fell 2-1 to Rowan back on October 13.