UConn beats ODU to win its 9th straight Big East Tournament title

Sophomore Erica Solomen scored early and the defense did the rest as the seventh-ranked UConn field hockey team won its ninth straight Big East Tournament championship with a 2-0 victory No. 16 Old Dominion on Saturday afternoon in Conshohocken, Pa.

The Huskies (11-1) improved to 48-11 all time in Big East Tournament play, and the finals appearance was their 19th in a row. With the win, UConn earned the league’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament. Seeding and matchup information for the NCAA Tournament was to be announced late Saturday.

Sophomore midfielder Sophie Hamilton, who was recently honored as the conference’s offensive player of the year, now needs to make room for a Big East Tournament Most Outstanding Player trophy. She was also one of five Huskies selected to the All-Tournament team.

Freshman back Claire van den Noort, senior back Kourtney Kennedy, junior back Lindsay Dickinson and sophomore back Claire Jandewerth were the other Huskies on the All-Tournament team.

The UConn defense held the Lady Monarchs to just three shots without allowing ODU to create a single penalty corner opportunity. The Connecticut defense has held the opposition scoreless in 10 of its 12 games this season, and the Huskies are outshooting the opposition, 240-40.

Solomen’s goal, her fifth of the season, came just 1:38 into the game. She was able to control the ball and dribble deep into the ODU circle before flipping it past Cam MacGillivray and into the back of the net.

Freshman Aiyi Young put the game out of reach two minutes before halftime when she poked in a rebound off a shot attempt created by one of UConn’s four penalty corner opportunities.

The Huskies outshot the Lady Monarchs 12-3 and held an 8-2 edge in shots on goal.

Redshirt junior keeper Cheyenne Sprecher made two saves for UConn. MacGillivray made six stops for ODU.