EWING, N.J. – Brigitte Racey kept the season from ending and Mackenzie Hart made sure to extend it as the dual heroines lifted the TCNJ field hockey team to an exhilarating 2-1 overtime win over Montclair State in the NJAC semifinals on Wednesday.
 
Racey dove to save a potential game-winning penalty stroke early in the extra period to preserve the Lions' hopes, and with 59 seconds remaining Hart sent a shot into the back of the cage following a corner sequence to give the hosts the relief of a nerve-racking triumph.
 
No. 2 seed TCNJ (13-6) will head to top-seeded Rowan – a 4-0 winner over Stockton on Wednesday – for the NJAC championship on Saturday.
 
Hart, who also scored the game-winning goal with under two minutes remaining in regulation in a 1-0 defeat of the Red Hawks on October 19, netted another golden goal following her own corner insert. Hart fed it to Rayhanah Ahmed on the left side of the circle, who passed across to Claire Engebreth at the top. Engebreth sent a diagonal pass across the goalmouth to Hart, whose shot near the left post went underneath the Montclair goalie and just snuck past a Red Hawk defender's stick to set off a wild celebration.
 
None of it would have been possible if not for Racey, who stared down a stroke with 7:20 to go in overtime. Emma Bianco ripped a shot low and to the left, but Racey dove to her right to knock it away and keep the Lions' hopes afloat.
 
TCNJ dominated in the shot department (22-6), but saw its 1-0 lead – gained off a goal by Isabel Maher and assisted by Hart early in the second – disappear late in the third quarter. The Lions racked up nine shots in the fourth quarter and six in OT, but were unable to get one past Sydney White until the very end.
 
Now, the Lions get a shot at Rowan for the third consecutive year, looking to erase back-to-back setbacks in the NJAC final.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• TCNJ outshot the Red Hawks, 22-6, and put 12 of its shots on goal
• The Lions also racked up 14 corners to just one for the visitors
• Ahmed fired off a game-high nine shots, while Hart, Maher, and Jadyn Huff had three apiece
• Racey finished with three saves for the Lions
• White made nine saves and Kasey Watson had a defensive save for Montclair

NOTES

• Hart posted her first career game with both a goal and an assist
• Maher netted her seventh goal of the season

UP NEXT

• The Lions head to Glassboro for a rematch with Rowan. TCNJ led late into the regular-season meeting, but the Profs scored twice in the last four minutes and change to steal a 2-1 win