Springfield, Mass. – September 26, 2026 – The Springfield College field hockey team fell to Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 2-1, in a penalty shootout on Saturday.
The Pride drop to 5-3 overall and 1-0 in New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) play, while the Engineers improve to 4-5 overall and 2-0 in conference play.
Sam Orcutt (Forestdale, Mass.) led a strong defensive effort for Springfield, recording 11 saves in goal. The performance marked her second game with 11 saves this season as Orcutt currently leads the NEWMAC with a 1.17 goals-against average and ranks third with a .804 save percentage.
The first half featured strong defensive play from both sides, with just three shots recorded between the two teams, only one of which was on target. The second half opened up offensively, with both teams mounting attacks but ultimately unable to convert. With the game still tied at zero late in the fourth quarter, WPI earned three penalty corners and fired four shots in the final minute of regulation but couldn't get it past the Pride's defense to send the game into overtime.
Both teams recorded two shots during the first overtime period, but the defenses continued to hold strong, sending the game to a second overtime. The Engineers controlled the opening minutes, recording several penalty corners and shots on goal before earning a penalty stroke with under seven minutes remaining but Orcutt then came up with the save to keep the Pride in the game. Springfield recorded three penalty corners and multiple shots of its own but was unable to find the game-winning goal, sending the game into a penalty shootout.
The first attacker from each team converted on their opening attempt, including a successful conversion from Lily Bialack (Bridgewater, Conn.). The goalkeepers on both sides then responded, stopping the opposition on each of the next three attempts. WPI converted on its fifth and final attempt, while Springfield was unable to match to give the Engineers a 2-1 victory in the shootout.
WPI outshot Springfield, 18-7, while also holding a 14-7 advantage in penalty corners.
The Pride will close out September play against Husson in a non-conference matchup on Wednesday at 6:30 pm on Stagg Field.
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