Ewing, NJ... A first-half goal and some timely saves proved to be the right recipe for The College of New Jersey field hockey team as they earned a trip to the NCAA Division III Semifinals thanks to a 1-0 win over Catholic University on Sunday.
 
This marks the 21^st time the Lions have advanced to the final four and the first since they claimed the national title in 2011. TCNJ will take on Middlebury College on Saturday, November 22 in Lexington, VA. The Panthers advanced with a 5-1 victory over Ursinus College.
 
The other national semifinal will feature Salisbury University against Bowdoin College.
 
The victory put the fourth-ranked Lions at 21-1 for the season, while the Cardinals capped their successful season at 16-4.
 
Senior Lindsey Hatch (Sewell, NJ/Washington Twp.) put the hosts in front with 11:44 left in the opening half with her team-leading 32^nd goal of the season. Sophomore Lexi Smith (Florence, NJ/Florence Twp.) set up the score by sending a pass deeper into the circle where Hatch one-timed a laser past the Cardinal goalie.
 
A few minutes prior to Hatch's goal, the Lions nearly opened the scoring on a shot by sophomore Jaclyn Douglas (Malvern, PA/Great Valley) that rang a shot off of the cross bar.
 
In the second half, it was sophomore Kelly Schlupp (Holland, PA/Council Rock South) that came up big. The Cardinals had a stretch midway through the period where they tested TCNJ's defense, gaining five penalty corners in a span of five minutes. After misfiring on the first two, Catholic didn't miss their target on the next three with Schlupp making saves on each of them. The Lions' keeper saved her best for last when she made a diving stop to deny senior Maura Campbell (Media, PA/Archbishop John Carroll) on her bid to tie the contest.
 
Those were the only three saves of the game for Schlupp as she picked up her second shutout in as many days. She now has four shutouts this season.


 
Sophomore Analisa Scott (Hershey, PA/Lower Dauphin) finished with a game-high six saves for the Cardinals.