WEST CHESTER, PA –
Lindsay Monigle (Rehoboth Beach, Del./Cape Henlopen) posted eight points, and
Hannah Stanislawczyk (Mohnton, Pa./Gov. Mifflin), scored five goals and finished with six points of her own, as top-ranked West Chester overcame a sluggish start to down visiting Shepherd, 19-5, on a blustery, but warm, Saturday afternoon at Vonnie Gros Field.
West Chester (15-0, 10-0 PSAC East), which has already clinched a postseason berth in the PSAC Tournament, can clinch the regular-season title with a win at home next Wednesday over Kutztown. Shepherd (5-10, 1-10) scored the first two goals of the game and hung around in the first half thanks to some stellar goalkeeping from its graduate student keeper, Hailey Bennet, who made 17 saves.
Stanislawczyk's first goal of the game with :01 left in the opening quarter was the 200th point of the junior's young career. Monigle's eight-point day moved her past WCU hall of famer, Kathleen Sheehan, into ninth place on the school's all-time scoring chart with 252 career points to her credit.
Despite all the individual accolades, West Chester struggled through much of the first quarter similarly to how they did against Shepherd in the season opener in West Virginia. The Golden Rams erased a 2-0 lead early with a pair of markers from Monigle and
Meg O'Donnell (Hatboro, Pa./Upper Moreland) 17 seconds apart. However, the visitors stormed back to take a 3-2 lead right away.
Taylor O'Brien (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus) tied things up with just over a minute to go, before Stanislawczyk gave the hosts a lead at the end of one, 4-3. O'Brien, one of eight seniors honored before the game on Senior Day, finished with a pair of goals and a career-high eight ground balls.
O'Brien got her second goal of the game 38 seconds into the second quarter. But, Shepherd's Paige Stoner pulled the Rams back within a tally seven minutes later. That's when West Chester turned up the heat and took its game to the next level.
Alexis Smallwood (Margate City, N.J./Ocean City) finished off a nice feed from
Keri Barnett (Glenolden, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) with four minutes left in the half, and that ignited an 11-goal outburst from the home team that left the outcome of the game in little doubt.
O'Donnell, Stanislawczyk and Barnett scored the final three goals of the first half in the last 1:52 that pushed the Golden Rams' advantage to 9-4 at the break.
West Chester outscored Shepherd, 10-1, in the second half and kept their visitors off the scoreboard for over 30 minutes, including the entire third quarter.
Defender,
Kendall DiCamillo (Garnet Valley, Pa./Garnet Valley) scored her first career goal in the fourth quarter for the Golden Rams. She also caused two turnovers and scooped up a pair of ground balls. Freshman
Natalie Goldsmith (Oceanport, N.J./Shore Regional) caused five turnovers on defense Saturday.
