2017 Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship Schedule & Results
No. 10 University of Pittsburgh-vs.-No. 11 Texas A&M University Scoresheet
PITTSBURGH, Pa. — Julia Johnson (Fr., Houston, Texas) of No. 11-ranked/Texas Division Champion Texas A&M University posted a hat-trick as the Aggies rallied from a 9-7 deficit in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter to clip host/No. 10/Mid-Atlantic Division Champion the University of Pittsburgh, 11-10, in the consolation round of the 2017 Women’s National Collegiate Club Championship at the Panthers’ Joe C. Trees Pool.
The victory advances the Aggies into a 1:40 p.m. game on Saturday, May 6, against the winner of a consolation game pitting No. 16/Rocky Mountain Division Champion the University of Utah and No. 14/Mid-Atlantic Division runner-up Pennsylvania State University. The winner of Texas A&M’s next game earns a spot in the Ninth Place contest on Sunday, May 7, while the loser drops into the 11th Place game.
Leading 5-4 at halftime, the Aggies expanded the lead to 7-4 by the 5:58 mark of the third quarter as Johnson and Kamryn Pursell (Sr., Houston, Texas) connected on blasts at 6:19 and 5:58, respectively, to place Texas A&M comfortably into the lead.
However, the home team had other ideas as Abi Rubio (Jr., Wexford, Pa.), Elizabeth Tcheiguine (Jr., Perkiomenville, Pa.) and Leah McCarthy (Gr., Tinley Park, Ill.) balanced the scoreboard at seven-all with strikes at 4:23, 3:53 and 1:59.
Pitt’s scoring spurt continued over the remainder of the quarter as Rubio placed the Panthers back into the lead with 1:25 on the clock for the first time since a 4-3 lead with 4:06 remaining in the second quarter. Maggie Walker (Jr., Perkasie, Pa.) followed with eight seconds remaining in the frame to put Pitt into the lead at 9-7 with a quarter left to play.
Elizabeth Crowling (Sr., Dallas, Texas) erased the lead and ignited the Aggies’ comeback by reeling off consecutive goals with 5:35 and 4:13 left in the fourth quarter to pull Texas A&M even with Pittsburgh at nine-all. Linden Overbey (So., Cypress, Texas) returned the lead to A&M at 10-9 with an even-strength score at the 3:26 mark prior to Johnson collecting the game-winner off a man-up chance with 2:17 to go for an 11-9 margin.
Pittsburgh attempted to rally back as Maggie Mass (Sr., Lake Forest, Ill.) converted on a six-on-five bid at 1:55 to close within 11-10, but the Texas A&M defense would not falter down the stretch in holding the Panthers in check to escape with a one-goal victory.
For the Aggies, Johnson led the way with a hat-trick, while Crowling and Alyssa Koerber (Fr., League City, Texas) accounted for pairs of strikes to accompany single goals from Angela Kelley (Fr., Houston, Texas), Audrey McCrary (Sr., Dumfries, Texas), Pursell and Overbey. Kaytlin Pitzer (So., Conroe, Texas) earned the victory with seven saves in cage.
The game was nip-and-tuck throughout as Johnson placed Texas A&M into the lead with 5:36 remaining in the first quarter by converting on a power-play opportunity. Rubio pulled Pitt even at 4:41 prior to Koerber and Sullivan exchanging scoring punches at 2:44 and 1:41, respectively, to make it two-all.
Pittsburgh went in front for the first time prior to the conclusion of the first quarter as Mass mowed through the Aggies’ for a goal with 25 seconds remaining on the clock to put the Panthers ahead 3-2.
Kelley terminated the lead 1:43 into the second quarter by finding the rear of the cage at 5:17, but a five-meter penalty shot by McCarthy at 4:06 placed Pitt ahead once again at 4-3.
The remainder of the first half belonged to the Aggies as Koerber (1:44, even-strength) and McCrary (57 seconds, penalty shot) hit the twine to make it 5-4 in favor of the Texas Division Champions and set-up the dramatic second half.
For Pitt, Rubio finished with a hat-trick to tie with Johnson for game high-scoring accolades. McCarthy and Mass both chipped in pairs of goals with Walker, Tcheiguine and Sullivan accounting for solo markers. Abby Jarrett (So., New Cumberland, Pa.) took the loss for the Panthers with six saves.
The defeat drops Pitt into an 8:40 p.m. 13th-15th place game at the end of the slate of games on Saturday, May 6, as the Panthers will play to finish in either a tie for 13th or 15th in the final 16-team standings against the loser of the Utah-Penn State consolation game. Due to time constraints in the 30-game, 16-team tournament, places No. 13 and 15 are not played out and result in ties based the victors and fallen from the final two games on the second day of competition.
| Teams | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | — | Final |
| No. 11 Texas A&M University |
2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | — | 11 |
| No. 10 Universty of Pittsburgh | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | — | 10 |
Pittsburgh Goals: Abi Rubio (3); Leah McCarthy (2); Maggie Mass (2); Maggie Walker; Elizabeth Tcheiguine; Sam Sullivan
Texas A&M Goals: Julia Johnson (3); Elizabeth Crowling (2); Alyssa Koerber (2); Angela Kelley; Audrey McCrary; Kamryn Pursell; Linden Overbey
Saves: Pittsburgh – Abby Jarrett (6) ; Texas A&M – Kaytlin Pitzer (7)
Exclusions: Pittsburgh – 5 ; Texas A&M – 4
Advantage Opportunities: Pittsburgh – -for-4 ; Texas A&M – -for-5
Sprints: Pittsburgh – 1-for-4 (3rd) ; Texas A&M – 3-for-4 (1st, 2nd, 4th)
Cards: None
Officials: Pat Beemer, Dave Alberstein
University of Pittsburgh’s Abi Rubio looks for an open player down the pool as Texas A&M University’s Elizabeth Crowling defends
University of Pittsburgh’s Maggie Walker rises to shoot over Texas A&M University’s Julia Johnson
