Franklin, MA- The #1-seeded Dean College Field Hockey team defeated #4 New England College in Wednesday's Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Semi-Final Round. With the 1-0 Victory, the Bulldogs advance to the GNAC Championship Game and will host the #3-seeded Colby-Sawyer College Chargers.

Noteworthy Marks:
-This is the first time in program history that Field Hockey will play for a conference championship. This is also the second time, since joining the GNAC, that a Dean Athletics program has made the GNAC title game (Men's Lacrosse, 2024).
-Junior Emily Kilpatrick (Marion, MA) scored the game-winning goal with less than five minutes to-go. This marked her first career goal in the postseason and her eighth on the year.
-The Bulldogs will now host #3 Colby-Sawyer College, who defeated #2 Saint Joseph's College of Maine on Wednesday night. 

How it Happened:
-The first quarter would set the stage for the majority of the match. Sydnee Ramos (New Bedford, MA) would have the game's first shot. Shortly after, NEC's Kia Geddes would step in front of the box, only to have her shot blocked. 
-Dean would have two penalty corners to end the first quarter, but after both attempts, the score remained the same. Both teams would tied at zeros after one.
-Quarter number two would bring the same physicality as the first. There would only be three combined shots, two of which from the Bulldogs. Ramos would have her second chance saved by Makenzie Anderson. Emily Yazzetti (Mahopac, NY) would also have an opportunity, but just missed wide.
-At the end of the half, the game remained scoreless. 
-New England College would have offensive control of the third quarter. The 'Grims would record seven shots, three of which towards the goal. However, Dean's Sara Gardner (Hampstead, MD) stood on her head. She made three critical stops to keep NEC off the board. Once again, the game was scoreless after another quarter.
-Gardner opened the fourth with another big save, allowing Dean to setup their offense on the other side of the field.
-Dean would eventually secure two consecutive penalty corners. Both Yazzetti and Ramos would have their shots blocked, followed by a wide shot from Katrina Lee (Brookline, NH).
-In the 57th minute, the Bulldogs found their answer. Ramos secured the loose ball and drew Anderson out of the cage. This allowed Kilpatrick to position in front of the goal. After a quick scrum, Ramos found Kilpatrick, who buried the crosser. 
-The Bulldogs would kill the remaining three minutes to seal the victory by a final score of 1-0.

Standouts:
-Kilpatrick (Game-Winning Goal)
-Ramos (Assist, 3 Shots, 2 SOG)
-Gardner (4 Saves, Shutout Victory, 60:00 Minutes Played)
-Lee, Emma Gragen (Brattleboro, VT) (SOG Ea.)
-Yazzetti (2 Shots)

GNAC CHAMPIONSHIP INFORMATION:
-Saturday, November 8th, 1:00PM EST.
-Grant Field, Franklin MA 02038
-#3 Colby-Sawyer College Vs. #1 Dean College Bulldogs
-For parking and additional gameday information, please stay tuned on social media @DeanBulldogs and on www.deanbulldogs.com. 

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