Nov 7, 2018 4 min read

Another day, another historic moment for the Washington & Jefferson women’s field hockey team.

The 15th-ranked Presidents hosted an NCAA Division III playoff match for the first time in program history Wednesday afternoon at Cameron Stadium and took full advantage of their familiar surroundings.

Senior captain Rachel Buyan scored a goal four minutes into the first round matchup as W&J held off Rhodes (Tenn.) for a 3-0 win and the program’s first NCAA postseason triumph.

“This was an amazing game, and it’s been an amazing season,” W&J coach Jomara Coghlan said. “We set a lot of goals for ourselves this year, and winning in the first round of the NCAAs was one of them. Getting that early goal really helped us settle into the game.”

This was W&J’s third attempt at a victory in the NCAA tournament as the Presidents (18-1) dropped first-round matches in 2011 (2-0 loss to William Smith) and 2017 (3-2 loss to Centre).

The Presidents will play at Salisbury (Md.) in the second round Saturday at 11 a.m.

“Playing at home was a huge difference maker for us,” Coghlan said. “We had a lot of fans and families come out today, and that was a big advantage for us. We are going to enjoy this win for a couple of more hours, and then focus in on a really good Salisbury team.”

As both teams were jockeying for possession of the ball in the early stages of the contest, Buyan was able to break loose near the goal line and put just enough touch on a shot that it got past Rhodes goalkeeper Nadia Hyatt at 4:05.

“To be honest, I’m pretty new to the forward position,” Buyan said. “We made the position change a couple of weeks ago. It’s all about positioning yourself in front of the goalie and being patient for the ball. My stick was down and I was lucky enough to get a good touch on it.”

Rachel Fromm was credited with an assist on the goal.

W&J held the Lynx (12-4) without a shot in the first half and goalkeeper Rena Israel made two stops in the final 35 minutes to preserve the shutout.

“They are just tough on defense,” Rhodes coach Lindsay Kasten said. “We didn’t have any flow on offense. They are very physical and quick to the ball. We had to adjust to that, but all day they were tough to go up against. They communicated well and we knew this would be a challenge. They are a tough team.”

Coming into the contest, Israel led Division III in save percentage (.901) and was second in goals-against average (0.26). For the season, the Presidents have allowed only five goals and have 15 shutouts.

After leading 1-0 at halftime, W&J increased its lead at 53:33 with another goal by Buyan. The marker was Buyan’s 16th of the season and 49th of her career.

Senior defender Gabby Karr assisted on the goal.

“This team is special,” Karr said. “We have a lot of chemistry off the field and we all get along. We are not playing for ourselves, but for the collective team. We are very close and we play as one unit. It feels amazing to win and to see how this program has grown over the last four years.”

The Presidents added an insurance goal 12 minutes later when Buyan set up Alana Boyd for her 11th score of the season.

“It’s been fun this year,” Buyan said. “We are always trying to get better and it’s so cool to bring home a win in the NCAA playoffs. We have battled through a lot the last four years, but this group is just hard working and believe in themselves.”

“This team just plays with more energy and intensity than the previous couple of teams,” Coghlan said. “These girls know the urgency and know how to go about their business. I’ve been blessed to have such a cohesive team, both on and off the field.”