PHILADELPHIA — Lucy Zich scored with 7:54 remaining Friday, November 6, giving UConn a 1–0 victory over Villanova and a place in the Big East field hockey championship game.
Charlotte Ritter assisted on the winner at Howarth Field, where the teams went through three quarters without scoring. The Huskies finished with a 10–6 advantage in shots and earned nine penalty corners to Villanova’s three, according to UConn’s official game record.
UConn’s defense supplied a crucial stop before the breakthrough. Marlijn Swaan made a defensive save in the third quarter, and goalkeeper Natalie McKenna turned away a Villanova attempt in the final minute to protect the lead.
Zich finished with five shots, three on goal. Her fourth-quarter goal was her 13th of the season.
The victory moves UConn into the title game against the winner of the other semifinal between Old Dominion and Liberty.