Bishop Eustace wins state Group 2 field hockey title

They knew the stakes.

They sensed the opportunity.

They seized the moment.

"Mission accomplished," Bishop Eustace senior Kelly Quinn said after scoring two goals to spark the Crusaders to a 5-2 victory over West Essex on Sunday in the Group 2 state field hockey championship game.

Montana Fleming, Katie Feeney, and Eileen Dzwill added goals, and Alex Pecora made a couple of acrobatic saves as Bishop Eustace won its third state title and second in three seasons with a dominating performance at the College of New Jersey.

The Crusaders controlled play from the start, appearing a step faster than a West Essex team that entered with a 21-1 record and a history of championship-game success. The Essex County power has won 15 state titles in its history.

Pecora, the senior goalie, snuffed out a few of West Essex's best scoring opportunities, and speedy junior Sarah Furey controlled the midfield for Bishop Eustace.

"I told the girls not to play tight," Bishop Eustace first-year coach Danielle Senior said. "This was their moment. They needed to have fun. The hard part was getting here."

Quinn's goal gave the Crusaders a 1-0 lead just four minutes into the game. West Essex tied the game two minutes later, but Fleming's goal off a rebound gave Bishop Eustace a 2-1 lead at halftime.

Bishop Eustace (20-2) took its game to another level in the second half. Constant pressure led to numerous corners, and goals by Feeney, Quinn, and Dzwill stretched the lead to 5-1 before West Essex got back on the board with a little more than two minutes to play.

"We wanted it so bad," said Quinn, who finished her senior season with 40 goals. "We worked all season for this."

Since the Tournament of Champions was canceled because of scheduling complications related to Hurricane Sandy, the victory marked the end of the season for the Crusaders and the end of the careers of the team's seniors.

Senior said her team would have "loved" another shot at 14-time Group 4 state champion Eastern, which beat Bishop Eustace by a 3-1 score in September.

Quinn and her teammates wanted to play again, too. But they weren't complaining about the last moments of their careers.

"This is the perfect ending," Quinn said.

West Essex 1 1 – 2

Bishop Eustace 2 3 – 5

Goals: WE–Kaitlyn Struss 2; BE–Kelly Quinn 2, Montana Fleming, Katie Feeney, Eileen Dzwill.

Saves: WE–Paige Innarella, 7; BE–Alex Pecora, 5.