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WEST CHESTER, Pa.- Almost a week after its fifth PSAC Championship in program history, the top-seeded West Chester women's soccer team (19-0-1) is finalizing its preparations for its NCAA Tournament opener vs fifth-seeded West Virginia State (17-2-2) on Saturday afternoon beginning at 1 p.m. on Rockwell Field.
Fan Information
Fans are reminded that they will need to park in Q lot on the opposite side of South New Street, directly across from Rockwell Field (located just South on John A. Farrell Stadium). Additionally, ticket prices are set at $10 for adults, $5 students and seniors, $1 from children ages 2-5, with children under 2 being admitted free of charge. WCU Athletics is also pleased to announce that it will pay for the for the tickets for the first 200 WCU students in attendance with valid, current ID on Saturday afternoon.
THE MATCHUP
West Chester and West Virginia State will meet for the first time in program history on Saturday afternoon, due in large to the youth of the West Virginia State program, having played its first season back in 2019.
With the recency of the WVSU program, the Yellow Jackets picked up their first NCAA Tournament victory in program history on Thursday afternoon, storming back to defeat Bloomsburg by a 3-2 final in overtime to advance to face the top-seeded Golden Rams. On the other side of the coin, West Chester is making its 19
th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, which is tied with Grand Valley State (active), and Franklin Pierce (1992-2010) for the longest such streak in DII history. West Chester is seeking its 20
th Division II Tournament victory on Saturday afternoon, entering play with a record of 19-14-8 all time in the Division II Tournament.
FLOCK TALK
West Chester enters play riding another unbeaten streak fter going 3-0 through the PSAC Touranment, outscoring foes 8-1 over that stretch with the only goal allowed coming in the Quarterfinals vs East Stroudsburg. This impressive run of play allowed the Golden Rams to pick up their fifth PSAC Tournament title and first since 2010 when the Golden Rams had won their second in a row after also claiming the crown in 2009.
Ranked second in DII women's soccer entering the Tournament, the 2022 season has been impressive for the Golden Rams, scoring a nearly mind-boggling 53 goals while allowing just six on the year. PSAC Rookie of the Year
Faith Matter (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) enters play tied for the team lead in goals with fellow First Team All-League selection
Jacqueline Hug (West Chester, Pa./Unionville) as they have each scored eight goals on the year while Matter also leads the team in assists with eight. PSAC East Player of the Year and 2021 Rookie of the Year
Kaitlynn Haughey (Philadelphia, Pa./Penn Charter) has enjoyed another stellar 2022 season as well, scoring seven goals to go along with six assists, ranking third on the team in scoring. If teams manage to slow the dangerous trio of Matter, Hug, and Haughey, things do not get much easier for opponents as 16 different Golden Rams have managed to score this year with five different players scoring multiple goals already this season.
The West Chester defense has been equally as impressive if not more impressive then the offense in 2022, holding opponents to just six goals on the year, and a goals-against-average of 0.300, which ranks first in all of DII women's soccer.
Hayley McGee (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) (19-0-1) who earned PSAC East Defensive Player of the Year honors this season, ranks first in DII in goals against average (0.30), and save percentage (0.930), while also ranking in a tie for first in shutouts with 14 on the season.
THE BUZZ ON WVSU
Entering play off a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory after trailing 2-0 in the early stages of the match, West Virginia State fought back, scoring three unanswered goals, including a beautiful OT game-winner to shock fourth-seeded Bloomsburg and advance to the Atlantic Region Semifinal vs West Chester on Saturday afternoon. The victory improved West Virginia State to 17-2-2 on the year and helped the Yellow Jackets avoid their first losing streak of the season after falling to Mountain East Champion, Fairmont State in the MEC Tournament semifinals a week ago.
As impressive as the WCU offense has been, the WVSU offense has been equally as impressive, scoring 57 goals on the year led by 18 goals and 10 assists from Fran Soares Cupertino who scored the OT game-winner a day ago. Esther Dhiramo and Brooklyn Pritt have also been dangerous this season for WVSU, scoring 10 goals and eight goals, respectively. All told, 11 different WVSU players have scored this season, with nine of those 11 scoring two or more goals on the year. Cupertino scored twice yesterday afternoon, scoring her first goal on a PK late in the first half before scoring her second in the extra-session.
Defensively is an area where WVSU has not been as strong as the Golden Rams this season, surrendering 18 goals on the year, including three in its last two games. Laura Galindo who earned the victory in the Tournament opener on Thursday afternoon has played to a record of 16-2-2 on the year with a 0.84 goals-against-average and a 0.837 save percentage. Teams can get shots off against the Yellow Jacket defense, taking an average of more than 12 shots per game, however, Galindo has been big when her team has needed it the most, limiting the success of those shots throughout the 2022 season.
WITH A WIN
With a victory, West Chester would advance to next weekend as one of the two Atlantic Region teams who would play for the Atlantic Regional Title at home of the highest remaining seed in the East Region.
