West Chester vs Millersville
Game Details: Wednesday, September 18 I 2 p.m.
Location: Rockwell Field (West Chester, Pa.)
Game Links: Live Stats I Watch
Series: 25-10-3 (WCU 4-1 in last five meetings)
West Chester links: NEWS I ROSTER I SCHEDULE I STATS
Millersville Links: NEWS I ROSTER I SCHEDULE I STATS
Last Time Out
West Chester enters play on Wednesday afternoon looking to avoid its first losing streak of the 2024 season after a hard-fought 1-0 loss at East Stroudsburg on Saturday afternoon. West Chester had the better of the play throughout the second half on Saturday afternoon, generating several strong chances. ESU keeper Emmy Clarkson was excellent, making four big saves, including three in the second half, to earn the victory. Clarkson’s effort in goal helped make a late first-half strike by Sydnie Wright off an assist from Natalie Schooley stand up as the Warriors knocked off the 19th-ranked Golden Rams at home for the second year in a row.
Scoring in Balance
Offensive balance has not been questioned for the Golden Rams through their first three games of the season, as four players have scored a goal, led by two goals already from senior captain Alyson Cutter (Warrington, Pa./C.B. South). Faith Matter (Middletown, Pa./Middletown), Kaitlynn Haughey (Philadelphia, Pa./Penn Charter), and Jacqueline Graham (Toms River, N.J./Toms River North) all have one goal to their credit on the year. Five Golden Rams have registered an assist already this season, as Matter leads the way with two, while Haughey has one along with Lauren Corless (Old Bridge, N.J/Old Bridge), Victoria Pungello (Jackson, N.J./Jackson Memorial), and Lauren Reimold (Chester Springs, Pa./Downingtown East)
Chasing History
Head coach Betty Ann Kempf Townsley continues her search for win no. 400 on Wednesday afternoon after dropping a tight game at ESU on Saturday afternoon. When Kempf Townsley reaches this milestone, she will become just the 18th active head coach to do so at any level of NCAA women’s soccer and one of just four active DII coaches to reach this plateau.
Road Trip!
Today is the Golden Rams final home game in September as the team will venture out on the road for its final two games of the month, visiting Mansfield on Saturday at 6 p.m. before facing Lock Haven on Sunday, September 29 at 2 p.m. West Chester will remain on the road to open October, traveling to Kutztown on October 2 for a 7 p.m. start vs the Golden Bears before returning to Rockwell on October 5 to take on Bloomsburg.
Series History
West Chester holds a 25-10-3 lead in the all-time series vs Millersville dating back to 1994 when West Chester opened the rivalry with a 4-0 victory over the Marauders. West Chester has won five of the last six meetings between the two sides, with the lone exception being a 2-1 setback in Millersville last year. This victory for the Marauders gave them their first win over the Golden Rams since a 2-1 victory during the 2019 season, the second of a two-game winning streak and the middle game of a three-game unbeaten streak for Millersville vs WCU.
Scouting Millersville
Millersville enters play on Wednesday afternoon with a record of 1-1-1 overall and 0-1-1 in league action after a 2-1 loss to Kutztown and a 3-3 draw vs Mansfield to open the league year. On Saturday afternoon at Mansfield, the Marauders scored the first goal in the 14th minute of play and extended their lead to 3-0 as the game neared its 60th minute. With under 20 minutes to play, Mansfield mounted a furious comeback, scoring in the 72nd, 76th, and 88th minutes to earn a 3-3 draw. Millersville ended the game with a 19-10 lead in shots, including a 7-5 advantage in shots on goal, and finished the contest with a 7-2 lead in corner kicks.
Lia Francis leads Millersville in scoring so far this season, scoring a team-best three goals on the year for six points, while Isabel Coy is a close second with two goals of her own through three matches this season. In goal, Sabrina Zimmerman has gotten the starting nod and played the majority of all three matches, playing to a record of 1-1-1 with a 1.28 goals-against average.
