Franklin, MA- The #1 Dean College Field Hockey team rallied back to defeat #8 Rivier University in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Quarterfinal Round by a final score of 6-3. With the win, the Bulldogs advance to the Semi-Final Round to face #4 New England College.

How it Happened:
-In a surprising turn of events, it would be the Raiders who would open the scoring. Brianna Spinelli would score the goal, assisted by Reilly Swislosky, to give the #8 Raiders the 1-0 advantage.
-However, the goal sparked the fire inside the Bulldogs. Dean would go on a rampage of six consecutive shots, including a penalty corner in the final minutes. Although, after the first quarter, the score remained 1-0 Rivier.
-The Bulldogs would continue their rally in the second quarter. Senior Sydnee Ramos (New Bedford, MA) would drive a shot on-goal, which would be saved by keeper Lily Gifford. Dean would then record another pair of shots and pair of penalty corners.
-In the 19th minute, Dean tied the game at-last. Junior Shea Cassani (Belgrade, ME) found the back of the net off a tip from Emma Gragen (Brattleboro, VT). The game was now tied at one apiece.
-With two seconds remaining in the half, the Bulldogs would strike again. Ramos drew the goalkeeper out of the cage and buried a shot in the top right corner. Her magnificent effort gave Dean the 2-1 lead going into halftime.
-The third quarter was a barn-burner, with both teams scoring a combined four goals. However, it would be Dean getting the upper-hand, scoring three of the four points. Emma Mock (Tunkhannock, PA) would score her 2nd career goal on a penalty stroke. Emily Yazzetti (Mahopac, NY) would follow with a goal of her own. To wrap-up the quarter, Ramos would score her 2nd of the game, assisted by Gragen. Dean now had the 5-2 lead heading into the final quarter.
-Dean's final goal came in the 46th minute. Yazzetti would bury the Bulldogs' second penalty stroke goal, making it 6-2. Although Rivier scored one more time, the Bulldogs would seal the victory by a final score of 6-3 and advance to the Semi-Final Round.

Standouts:
-Ramos (2 Goals, 8 Shots, 4 SOG)
-Yazzetti (2 Goals, 3 SOG)
-Mock (2nd Career Goal)
-Cassani (Goal, Defensive Save, SOG)
-Gragen (3 Assists, 3 Shots)
-Sara Gardner (Hampstead, MD) (3 Saves, 2 GA, 45 Minutes Played)
-Allie Stockwell (Burrillville, RI) (GA, 15:00 Minutes Played)

Next Up:
-Wednesday, Novemebr 5th, 2:00PM versus #4 New England College (GNAC SEMI-FINAL ROUND / Grant Field)

For Media Inquiries:
Brett Chaves
Sports Information Director, Dean College Athletics
(508) 541-1826
BChaves@dean.edu