BLOOMSBURG, PA – Newberry used a quick start and stifling defensive effort to shut out fifth-seeded West Chester in the first national semifinal of the 2025 NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championships at overcast and brisk Steph Pettit Stadium Friday afternoon.
Newberry came out firing by scoring twice in the first five minutes of the contest to take an early 2-0 lead. Emma Westbrook put the Wolves on top when she knocked in a cross from Wibien Dahmen on the far post. Payton Keeler doubled the margin three minutes later when her blast from the top of circle beat West Chester goalkeeper,
Alina Burger (Koenigs Wusterhausen, Germany), to the right side.
Newberry's Emma Hulsmeyer added a goal with one minute left before halftime to give the Wolves a commanding 3-0 lead at the break. Finet Heemskerk found Hulsmeyer on the far side, and her redirection beat Burger inside the post.
"After our conference tournament loss a year ago, it wasn't hard to get everybody on board at all to get to this part of the season," Newberry head coach Hannah Dave said. "This group has great leaders. They had a vision, and they executed it."
West Chester head coach,
Amy Cohen, went to sophomore
Audra Szymborski (Furlong, Pa./Central Bucks East) in the second half looking for a spark. Burger made five saves in the first 30 minutes of play. However, Newberry scored on its first two shots of the game and never looked back. Szymborski was credited with five saves in the second half without allowing a goal. Newberry goalkeeper, Ayanda Mangenah, was called on to make just three saves in the contest.
"I told Audra (Szymborski) after the second goal went in that she was going to play," Cohen said afterwards. "That's our goalie of the future, and she needs to play in a game like this.
Newberry moves on the Sunday's national title game for the first time in school history while improving to 20-0 on the season. They will take on the winner of Shippensburg vs. Kutztown in the other semifinal. West Chester concludes its 2025 fall campaign at 14-7 overall and reaching the national semifinals for the eighth time since moving to Division II in 2011.
