#2 Delaware 1, #1 Drexel 0

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - Junior forward Amanda McCardell's goal with 43 seconds left in the first half of Sunday's CAA Field Hockey Championship proved to be the game-winning tally, as the second-ranked Delaware Blue Hens defeated the top-seeded Drexel Dragons 1-0 in the championship game at Buckley Field.

The Blue Hens (14-5) held the top-scoring offense that averaged 3.84 goals per match to no goals for the first time since Nov. 3, 2007 (40 matches), when the Dragons fell to James Madison 3-0 in the conference semifinals.

One week ago, Drexel took down the Blue Hens 4-2 in Newark, Del. to earn home-field advantage for the championship.

With the game scoreless and inside a minute from halftime, senior forward Casey Howard found Amanda McCardell on a two-on-one for the lone goal of the match.

Howard was named the Most Outstanding Player of the championship after tallying two assists in the team's two victories this weekend. She is currently seconds in the league with 22 goals.

In the second half, Drexel kept the pressure on, outshooting Delaware 14-2 and held an 8-1 lead on penalty corners.

Sophomore goalkeeper Noelle Diana posted her league-high fourth shutout of the season after making 12 saves on the afternoon, including seven in the second stanza.

Drexel (18-3) kept the pressure on the Hens defense, with three penalty corners in the final ten minutes.

Drexel had a 22-4 advantage on total shots, and had 12 shots on goal to Delaware's three. This was the first game this season both junior forwards Susan Ciufo and Christina Mastropaolo were held scoreless this season.

Following the championship, the CAA All-Tournament team was announced. Joining Howard were teammates Kim Schlezes, Rae Everson and Noelle Diana. For Drexel, Susan Ciufo, Carolina Gibernau, and Kim Tunell were honored. JMU's Kelsey Cutchins and Tara King and Hofstra's Amy-Lee Levey and Genna Kovar were also named to the team.

This is Delaware's second CAA championship and first since 2004.

The 16 team field for the 2009 NCAA Tournament will be announced Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. and will be shown on NCAA.com.

The first and second rounds will take place at campus sites on Nov. 14-15 with the final four and national championship game being held on Nov. 20 and 22 at Wake Forest's Kettner Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C.

CAA All-Tournament Team