LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEOGWYNEDD VALLEY, PA. -- The three-time defending champion Gwynedd Mercy University Field Hockey team returns to the Colonial States Athletic Conference Tournament looking to make a run at a fouth CSAC Title.
The Griffins, the #2 seed, will host #3 seed Neumann University on tonight at the Gwynedd Mercy Athletic Complex at 7 p.m. in a semifinal matchup.
Gwynedd defeated the Knights back on October 25th in a 4-3 overtime thriller in the regular season. Junior
Stephanie Bacho (Cinnaminson, N.J. / Holy Cross) recorded her second career hat-trick with her three goal performance while freshman
Melissa Russo (Saylorsburg, Pa. / Pleasant Valley) found the back of the cage for the game winner. The win against the Knights was also Head Coach
Laura-Ann Lane's 100th win as a Griffin.
This is also the Griffins eighth-consecutive playoff appearance under Lane. They have appeared in four straight championship games winning the Colonial States Athletic Conference in 2011, 2012 and 2013 in impressive fashion.
Gwynedd also holds a 7-2 record over the Knights under Lane, winning the last four match-ups.Â
Both teams met in the 2009 playoffs with Neumann advancing with a 3-1 victory.
The Griffins are led by Bacho along with fellow first-team All-CSAC selections
Katie O'Neill (Newtown, Pa. / Council Rock North),
Kelly Kruk (Phoenixville, Pa. / Methacton) and
Madison Reiss (Quakertown, Pa. / Pennridge). Gwynedd also had three second team All-CSAC selections Russo,
Brittany Wilson (Huntingdon Valley, Pa. / Lower Moreland) and
Brianna O'Connell (Berlin, N.J. / Eastern).
Megan Senkeleski (Little Silver, N.J. / Red Bank) rounded out the end of the year awards being selected Honorable Mention All-CSAC.
Neumann will look to first-team All-CSAC players Lindsey Spatola and Katie Bauer. While Alexa McIntyre, Jillian DeFina, Carolynn Bacho and Summer Sklivas received recognition from the CSAC as well.
In the other semifinal matchup tonight, top-seeded Cabrini hosts #4 Immaculata. The winners will meet Saturday for the Championship at the site of the highest remaining seed.
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