Box Score

POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (September 12, 2010) -- On a cloudy Sunday afternoon at Weinberg Field things were still bright for Vassar College Field Hockey, who won the 22nd annual Betty Richey Tournament with a convincing 4-2 victory over Smith College. The Brewers benefited from tremendous performances by freshman Anna Schroeder, who notched a hat trick, and by senior Jessica Lance, who tallied an assist on her way to earning tournament MVP honors. It was the first time Vassar had won the tournament since 1995.

With the victory, the Brewers even their record at 2-2 and will next face Drew University on the road on September 17 at 5:00 p.m. Smith drops to 1-2 and next plays Elms College on September 15.

“We had such a will to win,” said Lance. "We wanted to bring Betty home so badly.” Vassar's will to win was clear from the first whistle, when the Brewers made an emphatic point in showing the Pioneers that they were going to be playing an aggressive game throughout. Smith goalkeeper Sora Harris-Vincent needed to make a sprawling save early in the game to turn away junior Maura McCarthy on what would be the first of Vassar's 11 shots on goal.

Betty Richey All-Tournament Team Elms - Andrea Ramsdell, Alexandra Bonavita Manhattanville - Alex Pomato, Kayla Meenan Smith - Phoebe Hopkins, Nomindari Goulden, Alexandra Stein Vassar - Jessica Lance, Rebecca Smith, Madeline Rooney, Anna Schroeder

Not intimidated by the save, the Brewers turned up the offensive pressure even more, and it wasn't long before junior Elizabeth Feltch found the back of the goal at 14:41, giving Vassar a goal on its first penalty corner of the game. Feltch collected the feed from the top of the circle and drove it hard to the net, only to be turned away by Harris-Vincent. A determined Feltch was relentless in following through on the play, collecting her own rebound and pounding in the score.

Feltch's goal on the first of Vassar's 11 penalty corners set a tone for the rest of the game, as Vassar's next three goals — all of them by Schroeder — would come off of corners. After Smith had tied the game just forty seconds after Vassar's first goal, Lance received a penalty corner feed from the top of the key and ripped a tremendous shot towards the goal, which Schroder tipped in past Harris-Vincent at 16:51. The Pioneers kept the tally equal for only a minute and a half, and would never pull even with Vassar again.

With the half winding down, Schroder gave the Brewers some breathing room on their final penalty corner of the period, driving home her second goal off a cross from senior Madeline Rooney. Schroder's goal proved to be an important one, as Smith College forward Alexandra Stein slipped one past Vassar goalkeeper Rachel Horwitz to keep the Pioneers in the game, down 3-2..

Said Schroder after the victory that had eluded Vassar since 1995, “It's great to win after fifteen years. We played well as a team and we played together.”

Head coach Cara Dunn went to her bench in the second half, putting freshman goalkeeper Maggie Brelis in for Horwitz. Brelis proved to be unbreakable, saving two shots the rest of the way. But all the pressure was on Harris-Vincent, who managed seven saves in the game, but was unable to keep Schroder from completing the hat trick as she dropped one into the corner of the goal at 41:51, giving Vassar a two goal lead that it wouldn't relinquish.