Salem, Va.
Stephanie Kienle and
Jackie Baker each scored four goals, and West Chester withstood another Lock Haven rally late in the second half to advance to the NCAA Division II Womens Lacrosse national championship game for the fourth consecutive year with a 16-14 victory Saturday afternoon at Spartan Field in Salem, Va.
West Chester (19-1) will take on C.W. Post in Sundays NCAA Championship Game. The Pioneers defeated the Stonehill Skyhawks in Saturdays other semifinal.
The Golden Rams, ranked fourth in the country, extended their winning streak to a season-high 10 games with the win and now own the second-most wins in a single season by a Division II program in NCAA history. It marked the fourth time this year in as many meetings that West Chester defeated Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference rival Lock Haven.
It was definitely going to be a challenge (beating West Chester), Lady Eagles head coach Kristen Selvage said. I thought we got better and better each time we played them.
Lock Haven (16-4), who used a 4-1 run over the final 11 minutes of the game in last weekends PSAC final, made things interesting again with a three-goal spurt with just under seven minutes to play that drew the Eagles within one, 13-12.
However, West Chester answered with three unanswered goals of its own to push the lead to four (16-12) with two minutes to play.
It got a little scary at the end, West Chester head coach
Ginny Martino said. But, we were able to get a few insurance goals late.
Lock Havens Leigh Titus finished off a spectacular afternoon with her third goal and sixth point of the tilt at 1:25, and Jessica Blickenstaff scored her third goal of the game eight seconds later. But, the Golden Rams were able to run off the final 73 seconds thanks to a save by goalkeeper
Mary Beth Green and a ground ball picked up by
Gabrielle Stitz that won a possession with 20 seconds left on the game clock.
Green made season-high 18 saves in the contest, include four in the first 10 minutes of the game that kept Lock Haven at bay.
I think the pace of the game would have changed completely, if we could have gotten a few by (Green) early, Selvage said.
Baker tallied three of the Golden Rams first five goals as West Chester jumped out to a 5-2 lead with 7:34 left in the first half. Baker torched Lock Haven for 23 goals in four meetings with the Eagles this season.
Fellow attacker
Chrissy Kane notched her second of the game with 45 seconds left in the first half to give West Chester a 7-4 advantage. However, Lock Haven answered right back with a goal by Mandy Alderfer with 32 ticks left to draw within two at the half.
Freshman
Nicole Haines sparked a 3-0 run to open the second half, scoring twice around a tally by Kienle, that opened a 10-5 lead for the Rams.
The Eagles scored four of the next seven markers to pull within 13-9 before going on its final run at the Golden Rams in the last seven minutes.
Kienle finished with four goals and two assists to push her NCAA-record points on the season to 140. Bakers four goals upped her team-high total to 79 this year. She has 107 points in 2007.
Haines finished with two goals and three assists, Kane posted a hat trick and
Mandy Masoner and
Gina DiDomenicis each scored for West Chester as well.
Melissa Seesz made 14 saves for Lock Haven in a losing effort. In addition to Titus six points and Blickenstaffs four, Lindsey Rentel recorded a hat trick, Alderfer scored twice and Jenna Richter tallied once.
Sundays NCAA Championship game versus C.W. Post is scheduled for a 12:07 p.m. faceoff and can be seen live on CSTV. Jason Knapp and Sheehan Stanwick Burch will call the action. The game is expected to be shown at the Stadium Grill in West Goshen.
It marks the sixth time in West Chester head coach
Ginny Martinos 10-year career that the Golden Rams have reached the finals. The Golden Rams dropped a 20-12 decision to C.W. Post earlier this year. It was the Rams lone loss on the season.
