Shippensburg Sinks West Chester in PSAC Semifinals, 2-1

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – West Chester tacked on a late goal, but it would not be enough as No. 2 Shippensburg prevailed over No. 3 West Chester in the PSAC semifinals, 2-1, Friday afternoon at East Stroudsburg. Shippensburg registered the first pair of goals in the contest, which proved to be the difference. The Raiders grabbed a 2-0 lead at the 25:59 mark in the first half. The Raiders' first goal came courtesy of Emily Barnard, who tapped in a rebound in front of the cage.Nearly 12 minutes later, her teammate Cassle Rawa managed to score from the left side of the cage. West Chester (13-7) did produce a late goal by its leading scorer in junior Rachal Toppi (Glassboro, N.J./Glassboro). The goal adds to her Division II program record, capturing her 70th goal of her career. Toppi's goal put the Golden Rams within one, but Shippensburg's defense and goalkeeper Ally Mooney managed to hold onto the victory. In a last minute effort, the Raiders' defense was able to block a pair of Kaitlin Hatch's (Sewell, N.J. / Washington Twp.) shots. Mooney in the cage provided seven saves, while West Chester's Sarah Krause (Lancaster, Pa./Conestoga Valley) made two. West Chester outshot the Raiders 16-6, while also holding an 8-2 advantage in terms of penalty corners.

Shippensburg will compete for the PSAC Championship and face the winner of East Stroudsburg and Millersville on Sunday, November 6th at East Stroudsburg.