Field Hockey: Madison falls to Oak Knoll in NJSIAA tourney

PLAINSBORO - Madison had been playing at its best since a loss to Oak Knoll on Oct. 8, but the Dodgers were unable to avenge that defeat in a rematch in the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions semifinal when they were handed a 4-3 loss in overtime.

Madison (21-3), making its first appearance in the T of C since 2009, had won 11 in a row before having to face off with Oak Knoll (24-1) again. The Dodgers appeared on the way to Friday night’s final when Lauren Taylor scored with 5:47 to play to give her club a 3-2 lead. But Oak Knoll’s Kirby Comizio tied the game with 20 seconds to play, and Gabby Andretta scored the game-winner with 2:00 remaining in overtime.

Madison was dominant in the first half, holding a 7-0 edge in corners and a 15-5 advantage in shots on goal, but came out of the half tied at 1-1. Kendall Hanlon gave Oak Knoll a 1-0 lead at 4:37 into the game, but the Dodgers countered when Stephanie Dellavia scored with 22:00 left in the first half.

Ali McCarthy provided Oak Knolls with a 2-1 edge with 21:28 to play in the second half. Sophomore Jen Conroy squared the game for the Dodgers with 10:00 remaining, and Taylor provided a 3-2 lead.

“We fell short when we played Oak Knoll the first time,” Madison’s Caroline Turnbull said. “But it was a good learning experience. After that, we figured out what we needed to work on to get better. We’ve improved a lot since then and are definitely a better team.”