Box Score
Box Score
WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Kelsey Cheek scored a career-high two goals, and Kelsi Lykens added a pair of goals and an assist, as No. 1 West Chester advanced to the national semifinals for the second year in a row with a 5-2 victory over visiting No. 5 Indiana (Pa.) in the first round of the NCAA Division II Field Hockey Tournament Saturday at Vonnie Gros Field.
West Chester (18-2) cleared the first hurdle in defense of its national title and will take on Shippensburg in the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 9 in Lowell, Mass. at 1 p.m. Shippensburg received a bye in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Host UMass-Lowell will play Merrimack on Friday at 4 p.m. in the other semifinal.
With the score knotted at 1-1, the Golden Rams scored four unanswered goals to put the game out of reach. IUP tacked on a meaningless goal playing out a penalty corner after game time had expired.
Both of Cheek’s goals came in the first half as the hosts built a 3-1 lead heading into the break. Cheek’s fist tally came four minutes after IUP had tied the game. She re-directed a pass from teammate Kayla Gluchowski while standing on the far post past a helpless Sarah Lemieux in the 19th minute. Three minutes before halftime, Cheek poked in a rebound of a shot by Lykens that was lying on the ground behind Lemieux.
In the second half, Lykens scored a pair of goals five minutes apart late in the game to put the contest out of reach. Her first goal came on a penalty stroke, and her second goal was off a penalty corner.
Kate Bruce scored both of IUP’s goals. The second tally came after time had expired and the Crimson Hawks were playing out a penalty corner. The Hawks were granted three corner opportunities with no time left, and Bruce capitalized on the final attempt.
Michele Schrift got West Chester on the board first with a tip-in of a shot from Lykens in the eighth minute. It was her team-leading 23rd goal of the year, which ranks second all-time in a single-season at West Chester University.
Rams’ goalkeeper Kristin Arnold (18-2) made seven saves to collect the win. West Chester ran its winning streak to eight straight games. Lemieux (14-6) made five saves in the first half, giving way to Brittany Varacallo, who made two saves in the second half.
