HOBOKEN, N.J. (November 4, 2023) - First-year Sophia Cozza scored the games lone goal just a few minutes into the game as the #1 Stevens Institute of Technology field hockey team defeated #2 DeSales 1-0 on Saturday afternoon in the MAC Freedom Championship game. Sophomore Lily Wierzbicki was named the MAC Freedom Tournament MVP.

The Ducks (17-2) have won their second MAC Freedom championship since joining the conference. With the win, Stevens advances to the NCAA Tournament, earning the sixth berth in program history. The Ducks continue their program-best winning streak, as they won their 14th straight game on Saturday. Head Coach Meredith Spencer-Blaetz tied the program record for coaching wins with 82. She is now matched with Jessica Reed, who was the first coach in the program's history. DeSales finishes with a 9-9 record.

The Ducks jumped on the board early as Cozza fired a shot past the DeSales goalie to put the Ducks up 1-0 exactly a minute into the game. Graduate Lynda Farinella passed the ball over to Cozza on the left side and she blasted the ball past the goalie on the near side. Wierzbicki made two saves in the frame to keep the Ducks in front. The Ducks were only able to put one shot on target the rest of the half as they maintained their 1-0 advantage at the break.

The third quarter produced just one shot, coming from DeSales but not testing Wierzbicki as the attempt went wide. To start the fourth, Stevens applied the pressure as they looked to go up by two goals. They had two shots saved and five blocked in the first six minutes of the quarter. DeSales, needing the equalizer, had some chances down the stretch. In the final four minutes, they had five penalty corners, two of which came with zero seconds remaining. Wierzbicki made saves on three of the final four as the Ducks held on to win the MAC Freedom Championship.

Top Performers

• Wierzbicki was named the MVP.
• Cozza's goal was the seventh of her career.
• Farinella's assist was her sixth of the season.
• Wierzbicki made seven saves.
• Stevens had 17 shots with six going on target.

The Opponent

• Kayla Yeatman made five saves.
• The Bulldogs had 12 shots with seven going on goal.

Up Next: The Ducks will advance to the 2023 NCAA Division III Field Hockey tournament. The selection show is tomorrow night at 10:30 p.m. Date, opponent, time, and location are all TBD. Links for live stats and video will be posted to stevensducks.com