SHIPPENSBURG, PA –
Valerie Van Kuijck (Denbosch, The Netherlands) and
Emma Velez (Coatesville, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) each scored lifting West Chester University to a 2-0 victory over East Stroudsburg in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) field hockey semifinals at Robb Sports Complex Friday afternoon.
West Chester (15-3), the third seed in the PSAC Tournament, advances to the conference championship game on Sunday against top seed and tournament host Shippensburg (17-0), which defeated Millersville in overtime in the other semifinal.
The Golden Rams advance to their sixth conference final and take on Shippensburg in a repeat of the 2017 title game that was won by West Chester. The Golden Rams are a perfect 4-0 in the PSAC Championship Game since reclassifying to Division II in 2011. West Chester's lone loss in the finals came at the hands of Bloomsburg in 1983.
Van Kuijck put the Rams on the board in the 24th minute with her team-leading 18th goal of the season off an assist from
Paige Wolfe (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East). Velez then scored her sixth of the year on a penalty stroke early in the second half. Five of her six goals have come on penalty strokes.
Claire Nielsen (Wescosville, Pa./Emmaus) made two saves to backstop the Golden Rams to the conference finals. Amy Supey made eight saves for the Warriors in the loss.
West Chester outshot East Stroudsburg, 18-8, and a 7-5 edge in penalty corners.
Sunday's championship game gets under way at 1 p.m. at Robb Sports Complex. West Chester dropped both of its regular-season meetings with Shippensburg.
