NEW HAVEN, Conn. - The Sacred Heart University field hockey team clinched a berth in the MAAC tournament for the first time since 2014 after defeating LIU Brooklyn, 6-3, Friday evening. Kelsy Hopkins recorded a hat trick in the win, with Colleen McAninley, Emily Alexis and Allie Brouhard also tallying a goal apiece.

The Pioneers return to action on Sunday, Oct. 21, when SHU plays host to Quinnipiac at 5 p.m.

The Scoring

• (6:39): Makenna Crawford sent a pass to Hopkins who snuck it past the keeper to give SHU a 1-0 lead

• (22:10): Brouhard sent in the corner to Marlena Koellner, who stopped it while Emily Alexis fired it home for a 2-0 lead

• (23:57): Eva van Wakeren corralled a loose ball and fired it past the keeper to cut the SHU lead to 2-1

• (33:37): Bridget LaRiccia sent a pass to Brouhard who finished the play with a goal to give SHU a 3-1 lead

• (40:11): Casey Carrigan sent a pass to van Wakeren in front of the net and she put it past the keeper to cut the Pioneers' lead to 3-2

• (50:41): Kayla Kruk sent a long pass to Hopkins, who made a move past a defender in the circle then shot past the keeper to extend the SHU lead to 4-2

• (65:48): Brouhard sent a pass to Hopkins in the circle, who snuck it past the keeper for her third goal of the game

• (67:42): McAninley carried the ball into the circle and fired it home to give SHU a comfortable 6-2 lead

• (70:00): van Wakeren scored on a penalty stroke to cement the 6-3 final

Noteworthy

• With the win, the Pioneers clinched its first MAAC tournament berth since the 2014 season

• Hopkins' hat trick is the first time a Pioneer has scored three goals in a game since Carisa Eye accomplished the feat in a 3-1 win over Robert Morris on Sept. 26, 2008

• Hopkins' seven goals on the season are a career-high, exceeding her total of four from last season

• Hopkins and McAninley are tied for the team-lead with seven goals on the season

• Hopkins and McAninley are tied for the team-lead with 17 points on the season

• Hopkins three goals in the win is her first multi-goal outing of the season

• Alexis' goal was the first of her collegiate career

• Brouhard's goal gave her five on the season, which gives her the third-most on the team

• Brouhard's 15 points are third-most on the team

• Brouhard's five assists on the season leads the team

• Koellner's assist in the game brings her total to her two on the season

• LaRiccia's assist was the first of her career, along with her first point of her collegiate career

• Kruk''s assist was the first of her career, along with her first point of her collegiate career

• Hailey Power got the start and recorded a save in the win