Larripa's Golden Goal Sends Spiders to A-10 Final

Clara Larripa’s Golden Goal Sends Richmond to A-10 Field Hockey Championship

Richmond, Va. – It was supposed to be a defensive battle. Two of the Atlantic 10’s top teams, Richmond and VCU, locked in a semifinal matchup on Thursday. But with 7:12 left in overtime, Clara Larripa scored the golden goal. She scored. Her golden goal gave the second-seeded Spiders a 2-1 victory, sending them to the conference championship game.

The Spiders, co-regular season champions with VCU, now face top-seed Saint Joseph’s in a rematch of last season’s championship. The game is set for noon on Saturday, Nov. 7, at VCU’s Cary Street Field, and will be available on ESPN+.

A Game Forged in Fire

The afternoon started with Richmond dictating the pace. In the 12th minute, the Spiders got on the board first. Maura Seeger, redirecting a shot from Larripa on a penalty corner, put Richmond up 1-0. The Spiders took that lead into the half, showing their defensive dominance. They out-shot VCU 4-0 and held a 2-0 advantage in penalty corners.

VCU, however, is a resilient team. The Rams answered in the 39th minute, scoring on their only penalty corner opportunity of the game. The teams were knotted 1-1, setting the stage for a tense second half. The fourth quarter turned into a showcase for Richmond’s offensive push. They fired off nine of their 20 total shots and earned seven of their 12 penalty corners during that period alone, but the game remained deadlocked.

Top-Seeded Richmond Advances to A-10 Field Hockey Championship Game — Photo: atlantic10.com

The tension in overtime was palpable. A single goal would decide who advances. That’s when Larripa, who has been a force all season with 59 points (26 goals, 7 assists), stepped onto the grandest stage once more.

A Tale of Two Semifinals

While Richmond was grinding out its overtime win, the other semifinal at Crenshaw Field told a different story. Top-seed Richmond faced fourth-seed Davidson in the semifinals. According to the Atlantic 10’s report, the Spiders’ star, Clara Larripa, recorded a hat trick to lift her team to a 4-2 victory.

That game was a stark contrast to the defensive struggle against VCU. The Spiders and Wildcats were knotted at 1-1 before Larripa broke the tie with two quick third-quarter goals. She also scored Richmond’s first-half goal. Alexa Derr added an insurance goal, though Davidson’s Lourdes Wolf kept the Wildcats’ hopes alive with a goal of her own. Davidson’s Sib Naaktgeboren, the 2025 A-10 Offensive Player of the Year, had given the Wildcats an early lead in the second period. Despite their chances, including a clean look by Hannah Merritt stopped by UR keeper Amanda Cimillo, Davidson couldn’t complete the comeback.

These two results present an interesting narrative. The Richmond team that advanced to the championship is a squad of two faces: the stifling defensive unit that held VCU to just one goal, and the high-octane offensive juggernaut that poured four past Davidson.

“The Spiders advance to the A-10 title match on Saturday at noon to face the winner between No. 2 VCU and third-seeded Saint Joseph’s,” the Atlantic 10 conference reported, highlighting the significance of the rematch. “Richmond and Davidson were knotted at one before Larripa broke the tie and converted on a corner from an assist by Alexa Derr.”

For the players and fans, the stakes couldn’t be higher. A conference championship means a banner and, more importantly, an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. For the seniors on this team, it’s a chance to leave a legacy, ending a drought that has spanned over a decade. The journey isn’t over, and the final test is just two days away.

On Saturday, the Spiders will look to finish what they started. They’ll face a Saint Joseph’s team that knows what it’s like to win a title, as the Hawks were champions last season.

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