National runner-up, Saint Joseph’s field hockey is the PSWA’s 2024 Team of the Year after historic season
By Glenn Papazian, PhillyCollegeSports.com
The most successful team in the city played their games at Ellen Ryan Field on the campus of Saint Joseph’s University.That team is the Hawks field hockey squad – coached by Hannah Prince – which reached the NCAA Division I Championship Game in 2024. St. Joe’s did not win that game falling to Northwestern, who participated in the final in each of the last four seasons winning twice. That one loss did not and could not diminish what the team accomplished and and its success resulted in being named the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association’s 2024 Team of the Year.
Fans, friends and family of the Hawks can join us for the 120th PSWA Awards Banquet on Thursday January 16, 2025, at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Cherry Hill, NJ. Tickets are available to the public. Click here for ticket information and to learn more about all of the award winners, speakers and honorees for this historic night.
The team qualified for the NCAA Tournament as the automatic qualifier from the Atlantic 10 Conference by winning the league tournament played on Ellen Ryan Field. Saint Joseph’s won the league for the fourth consecutive season with a 2–1 win over top-seeded Massachusetts on a goal by midfielder Sol Borensztein early in the fourth quarter. Back Julia Duffhuis gave the Hawks a 1–0 lead in the opening five minutes of the game.
Duffhuis was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament. Borensztein was named to the All-Championship Team along with midfielder Celeste Smits and forward Manu Ghigliotti.
Time for the NCAAs. The team was ranked third in the nation in the NFHCA Coaches Poll, the highest ranking in program history.
The Hawks earned a tournament game at home as a seeded team against #20 Lafayette. SJU was the #4 seed. St. Joe’s won 1–0 when forward Alison Buffington scored with just over ten minutes to play in regulation. Princeton loomed next and another 1–0 win sent Saint Joseph’s to the national semifinals. Smits sent home a pass from Duffhuis with just under five minutes to play in the final quarter.
In another one-goal victory, St. Joe’s eliminated the top seeded, defending champion, and previously undefeated North Carolina 2–1 in Ann Arbor, MI. Ghigliotti scored twice in the contest, the fourth of her NCAA Tournament career making her the program’s all-time leading scorer in tournament games.
On to the Finals behind three one-goal victories.
Saint Joseph’s fell short to Northwestern by a 5–0 score, but it was a thrilling ride along the way for the 20–4 Hawks. During the regular season, the team complied a 15–3 overall record. The Hawks were seeded second in the league tournament and defeated Richmond and UMass along the way.
The team was stellar on defense, giving up 28 goals during the season. Goalie Marith Bjkerk stood tall in the cage giving up 23 goals making 49 saves. Her Goals Against Average was 1.04 per game and had a save percentage of .681 with 9 clean slates. Her record was 19 – 3.
Ghigliotti and forward Lily Santi each had 14 goals and 12 assists to tie for the team lead with 40 points. Duffhuis scored 10 goals and assisted 11 times. Smits, Buffington, Borensztein, and Erika Culp posted double-figures in points for the season. The Hawks outscored the opposition 81–28. Grad student defender Kate Crist, who finished her SJU career having started in 73 consecutive games for the Hawks, posted seven assists to rank fifth on the team.
The team was recognized in postseason awards. The coaching staff received the Mid-Atlantic Regional Coaching staff of the Year honor. Five players made the All-Region teams as Borensztein, Duffhuis, Ghigliotti and Santi placed on the First Team. Maaike Gorissen was named to the Second Team.
It all comes down to players. The program has done an outstanding job of mixing recruits both regionally and internationally. On this team ten players were from Europe and South America, twelve from Philadelphia, eastern and northern Pennsylvania, and New Jersey region. This model started years ago, and continuance has led to further successes. And shows The Hawk Will Never Die!