Box Score
WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Claire Grimwood and Tori Dugan each registered hat tricks as sixth-ranked West Chester topped No. 12 Mercyhurst, 10-7, in the PSAC women’s lacrosse semifinals at Vonnie Gros Field Friday afternoon.
West Chester (15-3) advances to its 11th straight conference championship game and 24th overall. The Golden Rams will face rival Lock Haven (15-2) for the sixth straight time in the finals. The Lady Eagles will be bidding for their third straight PSAC title on Saturday.
Lock Haven was a 15-7 winner over East Stroudsburg in the other semifinal at Vonnie Gros Field on Friday afternoon.
West Chester scored the first five goals of the game to jump out to an early lead. Head coach Ginny Martino switched faceoff personnel after losing the first two draws and that move paid dividends with the five-goal run.
“Their No. 10 is a tough, tough player,” Martino explained. “But, Tori (Dugan) won’t back down from anybody. If anyone was going to battle their girl to the end, it was going to be Tori.”
Dugan won the next four draws and scored the second tally in the five-goal run. The Golden Rams hung on from there, never letting Mercyhurst (13-6) tie up the game or take a lead.
“Draw controls are such an important part of the game,” Grimwood said about Dugan’s performance in the faceoff circle. “We needed somebody who could wrap it up and get (the ball) into the offensive end.”
The Lakers answered the Rams’ run with a pair of goals before halftime and another at the beginning of the second half. However, Dugan pushed the lead back to three (6-3) exactly one minute later.
Kim Masterton and Jackie Hoover traded goals three minutes later, before the visitors tallied twice in a row to draw within striking distance at 7-6. However, that was as close as the Lakers would get.
Dugan sparked a three-goal run late in the second half that put the game away. West Chester knew Mercyhurst would make its run. The Rams were ready and answered back with a late push of their own.
“Coming into today’s game, we wanted to stay composed,” Grimwood explained. “I think that composure paid off in the second half.”
“I think we played some great defense in the second half,” Martino continued. “That whole group back there did a nice job today of cutting off passing lanes and not giving them any good looks.”
MacKenzie O’Keefe (11-3) registered seven saves in the cage for West Chester to pick up the win. Jess Henderson came on for the last 19 minutes and posted a pair of saves as well.
Grimwood finished with four points in the semifinals, adding an assist to her total, while Erin Oczkowski scored a pair of goals herself. Hoover and Devon Lotkowski each scored a goal and added an assist.
Mercyhurst’s Laura Trenti recorded a hat trick for the visitors. Jenny Perkins (13-6) registered 10 saves in the cage for the Lakers.
