OXFORD (JMU Athletics) – A pair of goals in the third quarter vaulted James Madison field hockey (9-8, 7-2 MAC) to a 2-0 victory over #6 Ohio in the quarterfinals round of the MAC Championship on Wednesday afternoon.

Following a scoreless first half, JMU kicked things into high gear in the third as Elena Giangaspero and Anna Collinge both scored goals, shifting the momentum in the Dukes favor. JMU doubled up Ohio in shots, 12-to-6 while holding a 7-to-2 edge in shots on goal and a narrow 7-to-6 advantage in penalty corners.

Individually, JMU saw contributions from a bevy of Dukes as Sydney Raguini led the bunch in shots with three, putting two on frame. Azul Covarrubias and Emma Smit both nabbed an assist on the Dukes’ two respective goals while Covarrubias managed a pair of shots as well. Hannah Popolis did yeoman’s work in front of the cage, making two saves and notching her first career solo shutout.

How It Happened
• At the 36-minute mark, Popolis came up with the first of her two big stops, swatting the ball out of harm’s way to keep the contest scoreless.
• Moments later, the Dukes got out in transition when Avery Ruckman charged across midfield with possession. Ruckman delivered a pass forward to Smit along the left side of the cage. In turn, Smit flipped the ball to a lunging Giangaspero, who tapped it in with her stick to put JMU up 1-0.
• In the 42nd minute, JMU got a second goal when Covarrubias fed Collinge in the shooting circle. Collinge took a spin to her right and blasted the ball into the bottom right corner of the cage to double the Dukes lead in the third.
Game Notes
• James Madison earns their first postseason win of the Alyssa Parker Rosenblum era. It’s also the Dukes’ third MAC Tournament victory since joining the league in 2024. JMU has advanced to the semifinals round of the MAC Championship each of the three years they’ve been in the league.
• The Dukes pitched their second shutout of Ohio this season as the first came in the form of a 6-0 road win. The Dukes are 8-0 against the Bobcats in the all-time series.
• For Collinge, it was the second year midfielders first career goal. The Milton Keynes, England native has made 16 appearances and four starts for the Dukes this season.
Up Next

James Madison moves into a semifinal matchup with the host team, #2 Miami on Thursday at 2:30 p.m.

— JMU Athletics —