EWING, N.J. – The TCNJ field hockey team stayed right with 4^th-ranked Salisbury for the vast majority of Saturday's regular-season finale, but a late goal by the Sea Gulls was too much to overcome in a hard-fought 3-2 defeat.
 
Salisbury (15-2) broke a 1-1 deadlock with a goal just over two minutes into the second half, but was unable to expand that lead until the dying moments of regulation. Granted a penalty stroke with 90 seconds remaining, the Sea Gulls converted to give themselves a two-goal cushion, rendering moot a goal by Rachael Tetzlaff with 51 seconds remaining.
 
The Sea Gulls were on the front foot early, firing off six shots and forcing a trio of saves by Brigitte Racey in the first period. A defensive save from Tetzlaff kept the game scoreless, but McKenna Horner broke the ice with just over 10 minutes elapsed in the frame.
 
Mackenzie Hart pulled the Lions level with 6:48 to play in the second quarter off a corner, knocking in Jadyn Huff's bouncing cross at the left post and into an open cage.
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Salisbury inched back in front quickly after halftime, but despite a barrage of shots was not able to gain any breathing room until Devon DeGregory's penalty stroke with 1:29 left.
 
The two-goal advantage was short-lived, as TCNJ used another corner to make things interesting in the final minute when Tetzlaff ripped a shot from just inside the circle into the back of the cage with 51 ticks showing on the clock. The Lions could not find a late miracle, however, and conceded a 3-2 defeat.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• Salisbury outshot the Lions, 21-7, overall and 12-6 in shots on goal
• The Sea Gulls had 15 corners to the Lions' eight

FOR THE FOES

• Madelyn Reed scored a goal and led all players with six shots
• Marli McDorman assisted on a pair of goals
• Regan Worley had two defensive saves

STANDOUT LIONS

• Hart scored for the seventh consecutive game and extended her team-leading total to 16 goals on the year
• Huff now has an assist in six of her last seven games
• Prisha Dhruve notched an assist for the second time in as many games
• Racey registered eight saves

NOTES

• Tetzlaff moved into a tie for second in program history with her 13^th career defensive save, and is now just one shy of Lexi Smith's school record
• Tetzlaff's seven defensive saves this season are tied for fourth-most in school history
• Racey made her 50^th career start

UP NEXT

• TCNJ hosts Stockton in an NJAC semifinal on Wednesday