West Chester vs Mansfield
Game Details: October 19 I 12 P.M.
Location: Rockwell Field (West Chester, Pa.)
Coverage Links: Live Stats I Video
Series: WCU leads 28-0-2
West Chester Links: News I Roster I Schedule I Stats
Mansfield Links: News I Roster I Schedule I Stats
Last Time Out
West Chester saw its unbeaten and shutout streak snapped in shocking fashion on Wednesday night as the Golden Rams were stunned by Shippensburg in a 2-1 setback at David See Field. West Chester took an early lead when Faith Matter (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) scored her third goal in the last two games, and this lead held up until the second half. Midway through the second half, Shippensburg tied the game, and despite West Chester dominating possession and finishing the game with a 28-4 (14-4 on goal) lead in shots, the Raiders scored the eventual winner with 54 seconds to play to escape with a 2-1 victory on Wednesday night.
Flock Talk
After a slow start to the year in terms of goal scoring, Matter has caught fire in recent weeks and is now tied with Alyson Cutter (Warrington, Pa./C.B. South) for the team lead in goals with six each while leading the team in points with 20 thanks to a team-best eight assists. Matter and Cutter are tied for sixth in the league in goals with six each, while Matter is also tied for first in the league in assists with eight and is third in the league (second in the East) in points with 20.
In goal, Grace Keen (Lincoln University, Pa./Avon Grove) is 7-4-0 with a 1.01 goals-against average and five shutouts after seeing her three-game shutout streak halted on Wednesday night at Shippensburg. Earlier this week, Keen was named PSAC East Defensive Player of the Week after two shutout victories over Shepherd and East Stroudsburg last week.
Home Sweet Home
Today is West Chester's first of three straight home games. In the next week and a half, the Golden Rams will host Mansfield, Kutztown, and Lock Haven.
Taking Shape
As the second half of PSAC East play continues, West Chester remains in a good position in the PSAC East standings, residing in third, just four points out of first and one point back of Kutztown in second. Shepherd, whom West Chester defeated earlier in October by a 1-0 final in West Virginia, remains the league leader with 22 points and a record of 7-1-1 in league action. Second through fifth will be a tight race for the remainder of the season as the four teams are separated by just three points entering the regular season's final weeks.
Series History
West Chester holds a 28-0-2 lead in the all-time series vs Mansfield and has won each of the last six without allowing a goal in any of those five meetings.
Spooky Season
Under head coach Betty Ann Kempf Townsley, West Chester is 100-16-11 in matches played in October. The Golden Rams' current senior class has only lost three games in October and has played to a draw in two others, posting a record of 23-4-2 in their careers entering play on Wednesday night.
Hello Coach
West Chester alums may see a familiar face on the Mansfield sideline on Saturday night as Tara Koleski, who led West Chester in 2004 and 2005, is in her first year in charge of Mansfield after replacing John Shaffer ahead of the 2024 non-traditional season.
Scouting Mansfield
Mansfield (0-9-3, 0-9-1) enters play on Saturday afternoon, still searching for its first win of the season and looking for a way to halt an eight-game losing streak, which started with a 5-0 loss to West Chester on September 21. During this eight-game skid, Mansfield has been outscored 28-2, mustering just one goal each vs Shippensburg on September 28 and Lock Haven on October 16.
Yesterday, at home against Lock Haven, Mansfield controlled play for much of the first half and found themselves tied at 1-1 in the 65th minute after a Riley Bittenbender goal from Sarah Rader. However, a late Elizabeth Shultz goal lifted the Bald Eagles to a 2-1 victory over the upset-minded Mountaineers.
Katelyn Ruppel is the leading goal scorer for Mansfield with five goals on the year and is one of just three Mounties to record a goal this season, joined by Emily Smith and Bittenbender. Taylar Luckenbill, the younger sister of Haley Luckenbill, who played for WCU from 2017-19, is tied for second on the team in points with a team-best two assists.
In goal, Alyssa Shuman has been the primary option throughout the year, playing to a record of 0-8-2 with a 3.01 goals-against average, while Serenity Esterline is 0-1-1 with a 2.22 goals-against in 243 minutes of action.
