GWYNEDD VALLEY, PA. – Gwynedd-Mercy captured the 2011 CSAC Field Hockey Championship, defeating Cabrini, 3-0, Saturday afternoon. It is the second conference title in school history for the Griffins.

Brooke Stretch (Havertown, Pa./Archbishop Prendergast) was named MVP as the freshman tallied two goals in the win.

The Griffins (15-4) capture the CSAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. Selections will be made Sunday evening at www.ncaa.org. Check back to the GMC Athletic Website for all the tournament information.

Stretch scored both goals in the first half, as Gwynedd came out firing. In the second, the momentum picked up as GM outshot 16-3 in the stanza, and 26-9 for the game.

Freshman goalie Kelly Kruk (Phoenixville, Pa./Methacton) made four saves for her fifth shutout of the season. She was tested early in the first half, as each team tried to get on the scoreboard. Lindsey Atzert, who had four of the nine shots for the Cavaliers, almost beat Kruk with a shot but she found the post.

GM went up 1-0 at the 17:11 mark of the first as she able to get a stick on a pass from sophomore Maria Karidas (Richboro, Pa./Council Rock South). Her second came five minutes before halftime as a shot from junior Kelsey Deveney (Dalton, Pa./Lackawanna Trail) also hit the post. The rebound came right to Stretch's, where she buried her 14th goal of the season.

Karidas would tack on some insurance with her 20th goal of the year, just 4:01 into the second as it would be all the scoring the Griffins would need.

Gwynedd had 11 penalty corners, with eight in the in the second, while Cabrini (12-7) had to on the day.

Notes: This is the second year in a row the two schools have met in the conference final…GM won their first league title in 1999 with a 2-1 overtime win vs. Wesley…This will also be the second NCAA appearance for the Griffins.