WEST CHESTER, PA – West Chester University worked its way through another undefeated regular season and picked up a pair of wins last weekend in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament to claim the school's conference-best 26th league crown, second straight and fifth in the past six years.
The Golden Rams (19-0) earned the top seed in the Atlantic Region and will host the four-team regional on Thursday, May 16 and Saturday, May 18. Game 1 on Thursday features host West Chester against Seton Hill University (13-5) at 11 a.m. at Vonnie Gros Field on South Campus. No. 2 seeded Kutztown (15-5) vs. No. 3 East Stroudsburg (12-6) will follow in Game 2 at 3 p.m.
Saturday's regional final will feature the winners of the two semifinal contests from Thursday and will begin at 12 p.m. at Vonnie Gros Field.
TICKETS | CASH ONLY - AVAILABLE AT THE GATE
The NCAA requires a ticket for admission to every Division II Women's Lacrosse event. Cash sales ONLY will be available at the gates the day of the competitions. Fans must purchase tickets upon arrival to the contests. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens. Children ages 2-5 are $2.
LIVE COVERAGE
• Live Stats:
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• Live Video:
LINK
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PAST ATLANTIC REGION RESULTS
• 2023: at West Chester University
- West Chester 21, Seton Hill 8
- East Strousburg 15, Kutztown 8
- West Chester 10, East Stroudsburg 8
• 2022: at East Stroudsburg University
- East Stroudsburg 13, Mercyhurst 3
- West Chester 19, Seton Hill 10
- East Stroudsburg 13, West Chester 12 (OT)
• 2021: at West Chester University
- East Stroudsburg 18, Seton Hill 10
- East Stroudsburg 13, West Chester 9
• 2020: No Tournament (COVID-19)
• 2019: at West Chester University
- West Chester 20, Seton Hill 10
- East Stroudsburg 12, Mercyhurst 8
- West Chester 16, East Stroudsburg 5
• 2018: at West Chester University
- East Stroudsburg 12, Mercyhurst 11
- East Stroudsburg 16, West Chester 14
• 2017: at Florida Southern University
- Florida Tech 17, East Stroudsburg 10
- Florida Southern 16, Florida Tech 6
• 2016: at Rollins University
- Rollins 9, West Chester 8
- Florida Southern 9, Rollins 8
GAME 20 DETAILS
• Opponent: Seton Hill University
• Date: Thursday, May 16, 2024 | 11 a.m.
•
Location: Vonnie Gros Field | West Chester, Pa.
• All-Time Series: West Chester leads 13-1
• Current Streak: West Chester +13
• Last Meeting: May 12, 2023 at WCU – WCU won 21-8
vs. NCAA TOURNAMENT FIELD | Tournament Central Page
West Chester is 5-0 against the rest of the Atlantic Region field in the NCAA Tournament. All four regional participants are out of the PSAC while three of the schools are rivals in the Eastern Division. The Golden Rams are 3-0 against Kutztown this spring and 2-0 against East Stroudsburg. West Chester has not played Seton Hill this season.
ALL-TIME SERIES WITH SETON HILL
West Chester is 13-1 all-time against SHU in a series that dates back to 2014. The Golden Rams dropped that initial contest against the Griffins, 15-10, in Greensburg, Pa. Since then, WCU has rattled off 13 straight wins, including 3-0 in the NCAA Tournament (2019, 2022, 2023)
WEST CHESTER AT A GLANCE
• Overall Record: 19-0
• Home Record: 8-0
• Away Record: 9-0
• Neutral Record: 2-0
• Streak: Won 19
• Last Five Games: 5-0
• Head Coach:
Ginny Martino (26th season, UMass '88) |
Record: 404-82
NATIONAL RANKINGS
West Chester is No. 1 in the
US Lacrosse Magazine poll and No. 2 in the IWLCA coaches poll. They have held down the No. 1 ranking in the
US Lacrosse Magazine poll all season long. They ascended to the No. 2 spot in the IWLCA coaches poll the week of March 18 and have been there ever since. Kutztown is ranked 12th in the latest IWLCA poll and 11th in the latest
US Lacrosse Magazine poll while East Stroudsburg is 11th in the IWLCA poll and 17th in the
US Lacrosse Magazine poll. Seton Hill is receiving votes in the IWLCA poll from May 6 while it is ranked 18th in the
US Lacrosse Magazine poll.
LAST TIME OUT – PSAC CHAMPS AGAIN!
Second-ranked West Chester withstood a comeback from No. 12 Kutztown to hang on and escape the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Women's Lacrosse Championship Game with a 12-11 victory at Dick's Sporting Goods Field on the campus of Seton Hill University Sunday afternoon.
West Chester won its conference-best 26th PSAC title with the win over Kutztown which was vying for its first conference crown in 40 years.
Amanda Wolfe scored on a free position attempt with 2:32 to play to knot the game at 11-all.
Hannah Stanislawczyk then converted another free position attempt with 47 seconds left for her third goal of the game and fifth point. She was named the game's most valuable player for her five-point effort that included the game-winning goal in the final minute.
A TRIO OF ALL-AMERICANS
US Lacrosse Magazine released its 2024 Division II All-Americans and the Golden Rams were well represented on the list. Seniors
Hannah Stanislawczyk and
Grace Frasso, and grad student Jess Gorr, were all named to the first team. Stanislawczyk and Gorr each make their second straight appearance on that publication's first team while Frasso moves up from the third team in 2023 to the first team this spring. It is the second overall All-America nod from
US Lacrosse Magazine for all three players.
FIVE GOLDEN RAMS NAMED IWLCA ALL-ATLANTIC REGION
The Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) released its all-region teams Wednesday afternoon and the Golden Rams put five players on the first team.
Hannah Stanislawczyk,
Grace Frasso,
Jessica Gorr,
Kendall DiCamillo and
Julia Littlewood were named to the Atlantic Region's first team. For Stanislawczyk, it is her fourth time being named all-region and third time landing on the first team. She was a second-team pick her freshman year. Frasso makes her third appearance on the all-region team, but the first on the first team. Gorr also makes her third appearance on the all-region squad and second on the first team. She was a second-team pick her sophomore year. DiCamillo is a repeat all-region selection, but moves up from the second team to the first team. For Littlewood, this is her first time being selected All-Atlantic Region.
HOME SWEET HOME
West Chester University women's lacrosse is always tough to beat. However, to beat them at home, is something else altogether. The Golden Rams are currently on a streak of 26 straight wins at Vonnie Gros Field. Additionally, West Chester is 50-1 in its last 51 games at "The Vonnie". The Golden Rams put together a 24-game home winning streak between 2019 and 2022. When East Stroudsburg, the only team to beat them at Vonnie Gros in the last 51 outings, snapped that streak, the Golden Rams went on another win streak that they bring into this weekend.
SCORING SPREE CONTINUES
Sr., midfielder,
Hannah Stanislawczyk, is difficult to stop. All opponents know that. To illustrate just how difficult, she has scored a goal in the last 64 games in which she has played. She has been held scoreless in just two games during her four-year college career. Her 64-game goal scoring streak is the longest since former great and WCU Hall of Famer, Jackie Baker, scored in 58 consecutive games. Her scoring prowess has made her one of the top goal scorers in the history of Division II. Below is where she stands on the all-time scoring charts as well as this year's NCAA leaders and within the school's record book.
All-Time Division II Leaders – Goals Scored
NAME (School) Years Goals
*Sydney Tiemann (Maryville) 2021-2024 316
Hunter Isnardi (Mercy) 2014-2017 310
*Emily Mitarotonda (E. Stroudsburg) 2021-2024 302
Katelyn Martin (West Chester) 2003-2006 299
*
Hannah Stanislawczyk (West Chester) 2021-2024 294
*indicates player is still active
2024 NCAA Division II Leaders – Goals Scored
NAME (School) Goals
Paige Murphy (Emmanuel) 113
Sydney Tiemann (Maryville) 99
Emily Mitarotonda (E. Stroudsburg) 86
Elle Royer (Wilmington) 86
Hannah Stanislawczyk (West Chester) 84
Sam Graf (Kutztown) 79
2024 NCAA Division II Leaders – Points
NAME (School) Points
Paige Murphy (Emmanuel) 151
Sydney Tiemann (Maryville) 129
Madelyn Grella (Dominican [NY]) 122
Alea Javorowski (Wilmington) 114
Jackie Stoller (Florida Southern) 114
Hannah Stanislawczyk 111
Emily Mitarotonda (East Stroudsburg) 110
All-Time WCU Leaders – Points
NAME (Years) Points
Steph Kienle (2005-2008) 390
Katelyn Martin (2003-2006) 376
Jackie Baker (2006-2009) 371
*
Hannah Stanislawczyk (2021-2024) 350
*indicates player is still active
All-Time WCU Leaders – Draw Controls
NAME (Years) Points
*
Hannah Stanislawczyk (2021-2024) 341
Tori Dugan (2011-2013) 302
*^
Keri Barnett (2022-2024) 202
*indicates player is still active
^injured in Week 1 – taking medical red-shirt for 2024
WEST CHESTER'S JERSEY WALL
Head coach
Ginny Martino has built herself one of the most formidable defensive units in all of college women's lacrosse, and she went to the Garden State to do it. The Jersey Wall, consisting of
Gillian Peters (Cherry Hill, N.J.),
Grace Frasso (Cinnaminson, N.J.),
Katie Byrne (Wall, N.J.) and
Natalie Goldsmith (Oceanport, N.J.) ranks eighth in Division II in caused turnovers with 249. The Golden Rams rank fifth in the nation in ground balls (429). West Chester led the PSAC and ranks 10th nationally in Scoring Defense, allowing 8.26 goals per game. The Purple & Gold rank ninth in the country in team save percentage.
FRASSO MOVING UP RECORD BOOK
Senior defender,
Grace Frasso, who was named a first-team All-American by
US Lacrosse Magazine earlier this week, is quickly moving up the charts in a number of categories within the West Chester University Women's Lacrosse Record Book. She has been a force defensively for the Golden Rams for four years and lately has really begun her assault on some of the top defensive records.
Category Number (Record) WCU Record Book NCAA Active Leaders
Caused Turnovers 138 (167) 3rd 7th
Ground Balls 194 (212) 2nd 7th
Draw Controls 190 (341) 5th
UP NEXT
The winner of Thursday's semifinal will face the winner of the Kutztown vs. East Stroudsburg semifinal in the championship game of the Atlantic Regional on Saturday at 12 p.m.
