In their final game of the season, the Quinnipiac field hockey team capped off the year with a statement win on Sunday, defeating the Sacred Heart Pioneers 3-0 behind an impressive two goal performance from first-year standout forward Emilia Massarelli.  

Despite an underwhelming season in totality, the Bobcats ended the year on a high note, improving their overall record to 3-12, including a 1-6 record against rival Big East Conference teams.  

The Bobcats offense turned up the heat against the Pioneers, creating dozens of opportunities for  Stella Tegtmeier and Micaela Grajales.  

No goals were scored in the first quarter despite its high intensity, and it seemed as if this trend would continue into the second. However, Massarelli had other ideas, tallying an unassisted goal with just four minutes left to play in the first half. The goal, a rebounded shot in which she fired the ball straight past sophomore Pioneers goalkeeper Erin Burgess, gave the Bobcats a 1-0 lead over Sacred Heart going into the second half.  

Sacred Heart, staying true to form, switched goalkeepers to start the third quarter. First-year goalkeeper Samantha Maresca, hailing from Mamaroneck, NY, replaced Burgess to finish out the game.  

And yet, this decision by Pioneer head coach Sydney Van Dan Merwe is one that he may have regretted, as Maresca surrendered yet another goal to Massarelli shortly after the start of the second half. This goal pushed Massarelli to ten total goals on the season, an impressive feat for an athlete in just her first year of collegiate play. 

Prior to their second goal, the Bobcats struggled mightily to capitalize on their many penalty corner opportunities. Quinnipiac squandered five straight chances to score on penalty corners before finally tallying their second goal of the game. The Bobcats amassed a total of seven different penalty corner opportunities throughout the course of the game, with their lone success coming in the third quarter.  

Moving into the final 15 minutes of play, the Bobcats looked to build upon their sizeable lead even more. A penalty shot opportunity off the stick of junior forward Rachel Papernik nestled into the corner of the Pioneer net, putting the Bobcats up 3-0. Papernik, tallying her first goal of the season, provided Quinnipiac with some much-needed insurance.  

As for Sacred Heart, its offense was plagued mainly by costly turnovers, poor spacing, and a suffocating Quinnipiac defense. Junior goalkeeper Mack Vorel led the charge for the Bobcats defensively, holding the Pioneers to just three total shots all game.  

The Bobcats handed the Pioneers their 11th shutout of the year, with Sacred Heart finishing its season with a final record of 2-16. 

As the game concluded, the score remained the same, with Quinnipiac triumphantly defeating Sacred Heart by a final score of 3-0.  

It was a bittersweet season finale for the Bobcats, who look toward next year with high hopes of improving from their 3-12 record. Despite the loss of many impactful seniors, such as defender Amanda Funaro, head coach Becca Main retains a strong core of young players to build around. Massarelli, Grajales and Tegtmeier highlight an impressive freshman class who look to continue to improve as time progresses.