2014 PSAC Field Hockey Championship: West Chester Wins Crown
West Chester Claims PSAC Title
Courtesy of West Chester Sports Information
WEST CHESTER, Pa. - Rachal Toppi,
Marnie Kusakavitch and
Alayna Brown all scored for West Chester as the top-ranked Golden Rams shut out No. 2 Millersville, 3-0, in the PSAC Championship Game at Vonnie Gros Field Saturday afternoon.
West Chester (18-2) captured its second conference championship in the last three years with each coming at the expense of Millersville (17-3). Junior back
Kristina Scherrer was named the tournament's most valuable player after the championship game. Scherrer registered five points (1 goal, 3 assists) in Friday's semifinal win over East Stroudsburg and was instrumental on the back line of defense as the Golden Rams posted a pair of shutouts en route to the championship.
No extra time was necessary this time around. Kusakavitch got the Rams going early with a goal in the eighth minute. Toppi dribbled along the end line and then sent a perfect pass to Kusakavitch out in front of the goal, who tapped it in for a 1-0 lead.
Brown then scored with 55 seconds left in the first half to send the hosts into the break with a 2-0 lead. Toppi finished thins off in the 63rd minute when Brown found her all alone on the left post and sent her a perfect feed.
Sohpomore GK
Sarah Krause made two saves, while senior
Hannah Davies registered a defensive save.
The NCAA Division II field hockey selection show will air live on NCAA.com on November 23 at 1:00 p.m.
Boxscore
Complete West Chester Story
Millersville Story
PSAC SEMIFINALS
West Chester Handles East Stroudsburg
West Chester, Pa. – No. 1 West Chester shutout No. 4 East Stroudsburg 6-0 in the 2014 PSAC Field Hockey Semifinals on Friday afternoon at Vonnie Gros Field.
West Chester will now host Millersville in the PSAC Championship title game on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
The Golden Rams’ first goal of the match came off the stick of
Hannah Davis in the 10th minute marking her fourth goal of the season. Less than three minutes later in the 12th minute,
Kristina Scherrer, who assisted Davies’ goal, netted one of her own. Before the break, West Chester tacked-on two more goals, one from PSAC Freshman of the Year
Rachal Toppi in the 34th minute and another from
Alexis Versak in the 36th. Toppi, assisted by
Alexa Moran, now has 20 goals on the season.
Versak struck again in the 61st minute giving her 10 goals on the season. Scherrer assisted both of Versak’s marks. West Chester’s final goal of the contest came in the 65th minute from
Dayle Paustian.
West Chester ripped 16 shots compared to the Warriors nine. The Golden Rams also had 11 penalty corners, while East Stroudsburg recorded three.
East Stroudsburg caps its PSAC postseason run with an 11-9 overall record and the program’s fourth PSAC semifinal appearance since 2001.
West Chester is on the hunt for its second PSAC title in program history after winning its first in 2012.
Boxscore
West Chester Story
East Stroudsburg Story
Millersville Sinks Shippensburg
West Chester, Pa. – No. 2 Millersville defeated No. 3 Shippensburg 2-0 in the 2014 PSAC Field Hockey Semifinals on Friday afternoon at Vonnie Gros Field on the campus of West Chester University.
Millersville will now play West Chester in the PSAC Championship title game on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
Alicia Youtz earned the game-winning goal in the ninth minute assisted by
Champayne Hess. Youtz now has four goals on the season.
Katelyn Zapp added an insurance goal in the 48th minute to give her 15 goals on the year and was assisted by
Lauren Gerhart.
Shippensburg failed to register a shot in the contest, as Millersville fired six shots and held a 4-1 advance in penalty corners.
Shippensburg caps its PSAC postseason run with a 15-4 overall record and the program’s 14th consecutive PSAC semifinal appearance.
Millersville is looking to become the first team to repeat as PSAC field hockey champions since Bloomsburg won four titles from 2008-2011. Millersville has now shutout its PSAC Tournament opponents in five of its last six games.
Boxscore
Millersville Story
Shippensburg Story
PSAC CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
West Chester, Pa. – No. 1 West Chester will host the 2014 PSAC Field Hockey Championship this weekend at Vonnie Gros Field.
The top-ranked Golden Rams earned a bye into the semifinals after going 16-2 overall and 13-1 in conference play. Millersville edged West Chester 3-2 on September 23 to give West Chester its first loss of the season. The Golden Rams’ only conference loss came at the hands of then-No. 1 Millersville, as the two teams battled for the top spot in the nation.
West Chester is set to host No. 4 East Stroudsburg on Friday, November 14 at 1 p.m. East Stroudsburg topped No. 5 Mercyhurst 2-1 in the PSAC Quarterfinals.
The semifinal match-up will feature the PSAC’s top two scorers, as the Warriors’
Ally Roth and the Golden Rams’
Rachal Toppi rank first and second, respectively, in both points and goals. Roth was named the PSAC Offensive Athlete of the Year after scoring a career-high 53 points by way of 22 goals and nine assists. Toppi, the PSAC Freshman of the Year, was not far behind with 41 points via 19 goals and three assists. Her eight game-winning goals lead the league, with no other player scoring more than five this season.
The Golden Rams won the only regular-season meeting, routing the Warriors 6-1. Toppi’s first-half hat trick was complimented by goals from
Mary Spisak and
Marnie Kusakavitch in the second half, while Roth was held to one goal in the final nine minutes.
The 3:30 p.m. game on Friday will feature a 2013 PSAC Championship game rematch, as defending champion and No. 2 Millersville is slated to play defending NCAA Division II National Champion and No. 3 Shippensburg. The Marauders won last year’s PSAC title 1-0, with the 2014 PSAC Defensive Athlete of the Year
Rachel Dickinson scoring the game’s lone goal.
Millersville enters the game at 16-2 overall and a 12-2 conference record, while Shippensburg holds a 15-3 overall record and an 11-3 conference mark. The Marauders and Raiders split their regular season meetings, with Millersville prevailing by a 1-0 margin on September 9, and Shippensburg winning 2-1 on October 14.
Millersville boasts the nation’s top defense, anchored by goalie
Lauren Sotzin and Dickinson. Sotzin has allowed a league-best nine goals through 18 games and has 11 shutouts. Additionally, the Marauders’ 0.48 goals against average leads all of Division II. On offense senior
Katelynn Zapp leads the team with 32 points, 14 goals, and five game-winners.
Shippensburg advanced to the semifinals with a 1-0 victory over No. 6 Slippery Rock. Senior
Lucy Kauffman scored the game-winner – her first goal of the season – just ninety seconds into the game. Earlier this season, the Raiders were one of only two teams to score more than one goal against the staunch Millersville defense, and will look to repeat that success from the October meeting. Twelve Raiders have scored a goal this year, with
Tori Ricker’s 10 leading the balanced attack.
West Chester is on the hunt for its second PSAC title in program history after winning its first in 2012. The Warriors of East Stroudsburg are making their first semifinal appearance since 2010 and are seeking the program’s first PSAC Field Hockey Championship. Millersville has captured the most PSAC titles out of the semifinal teams with three, and will look to become the first team to repeat as champions since Bloomsburg won four titles from 2008-2011. Shippensburg has appeared in the title game ten times, with its only title coming in 2005.
PSAC QUARTERFINALS
East Stroudsburg Edges Mercyhurst
East Stroudsburg, Pa. – No. 4 East Stroudsburg defeated No. 5 Mercyhurst 2-1 in the 2014 PSAC Field Hockey Quarterfinals on Tuesday afternoon at Whitenight Field.
With the victory, East Stroudsburg advances to face No. 1 West Chester in the PSAC Semifinals in West Chester on Friday at 1:00 p.m.
Gabrielle Seibert notched her fourth goal of the season in the 30th minute to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead at halftime.
The game-winner came from
Jessica Lawville’s stick in the 52nd minute assisted by
Desiraye Mack. The mark was Lawville’s 16th on the year, while Mack notched her sixth assist this season.
Mercyhurst’s
Blair Pembleton narrowed East Stroudsburg’s lead in the 67th minute assisted by
Marissa Faso.
The Warriors put 15 shots on goal, while Mercyhurst had eight on target. East Stroudsburg held the penalty corner advantage 18-10.
The PSAC Semifinal will be the first since 2010 for the Warriors. East Stroudsburg is searching for its first PSAC Championship title.
Mercyhurst ends its season with a 9-10 overall record and 7-7 mark in league play.
Boxscore
East Stroudsburg Story
Mercyhurst Story
Shippensburg Survives Slippery Rock
Shippensburg, Pa. – No. 3 Shippensburg took down No. 6 Slippery Rock 1-0 on Tuesday afternoon in the 2014 PSAC Field Hockey Quarterfinals in Shippensburg, Pa.
With the victory, Shippensburg will advance to the PSAC Semifinals and face defending PSAC Champion No. 2 Millersville in a 2013 PSAC Championship rematch.
Lucy Kauffman notched her first goal of the season and the game’s only goal just 90 seconds into the contest.
Tori Ricker found
Suzanne Miller on a penalty corner opportunity and Miller in turn found the stick of Kauffman.
Shippensburg held the penalty corner advantage 11-3 over Slippery Rock, while the Raiders took nine shots and Slippery Rock recorded eight.
Shippensburg has appeared in the PSAC Semifinals for 11 straight years, advancing to the title game on six occasions and capturing the PSAC hardware in 2005 – the only PSAC title in program history.
Slippery Rock finishes the year with a 9-9 overall mark and a 7-7 record in PSAC action.
Boxscore
Shippensburg Story
Slippery Rock Story