Box Score
WEST CHESTER, Pa. -Kelsi Lykens and Megan Callanan each scored twice to lead no.5 West Chester to a 9-0 victory over no. 10 Mercyhurst on a sunny Tuesday afternoon, on Senior Day, at Vonnie Gros Field.
Before the game West Chester (12-4, 7-2 PSAC) celebrated a group of seniors that helped the Golden Rams bring home back to back national championships in 2011 and 2012. Mercyhurst (9-8, 4-5 PSAC) had a three game winning streak snapped, in its first ever trip to West Chester.
The six seniors honored were:
Lauren McGinley, Abbey Hordendorf, Callanan, co-captains
Stef Pirri, and Nancy Stehman, and Lykens.
As soon as the ball was put in play, the game faces were firmly in place as West Chester controlled the game from beginning.
After winning several corners in the opening minutes, freshman
Marnie Kusakavitch opened the scoring, for the second game in a row, slapping the ball into the back of the net, less than ten minutes into the contest.
Alexis Versak then picked up the ball in the middle and made 2-0 in the 17
th minute.
The seniors took over from there, scoring five of the next seven goals, and assisting on the other two.
Callanan notched her 13
th of the year off a feed from Kusakavitch when the two speedsters broke through the defense and alone on the keeper.
Stehman then joined the act setting up
Kelsi Cheek in the middle for her fifth of the season.
Just before the half West Chester made it 5-0, when
Alayna Brown made a run behind the defense and sent it back to Lykens for her 12th of the year
Lykens, returned the favor by sending a long lead pass towards the goal that was tipped home by Brown just 13 ticks into the second stanza.
Callanan scored again for her team leading 14
th of the year from Versak, and Stehman added an unassisted tally, the tenth of her career.
The final goal of the game involved the three seniors who have been at West Chester for four years, and have been vital parts of the national championship teams.
Lykens slapped home a penalty corner that was sent from Stehman and stopped by Pirri, a fitting way to end the scoring on Senior Day at Vonnie Gros Field.
Audree Bonavita made four saves in goal for West Chester in picking up her fourth straight shutout. Jess Wess made 14 stops in the Mercyhurst net.
The Golden Rams travel west to take on Slippery Rock to close out the PSAC regular season on Saturday at 5 p.m. Next Tuesday West Chester will host a PSAC Tournament quarterfinal game, the time and opponent is still to be determined.
