Feb. 26, 2001 -- HAVEN FIELD HOCKEY PLAYERS SELECTED TO NATIONAL ACADEMIC SQUAD

(Lock Haven, Pa.) – Six players on the Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania field hockey team earned a spot on the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division II National Academic Squad.  These six Lady Eagles achieved a minimum grade point average of 3.30 over the fall semester of 2000:  Angelique Conlin (Lititz/Warwick), Amy Hale (Hanover/Southwestern), Ododo Omo-Osagie (Hershey/Milton Hershey), Sara Segerlin (Penfield, N.Y./Webster), Carrie Witherel (Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge Senior), and Marci Yousaitis (West Lawn/Wilson). 

            Angelique Conlin is a junior defenseman who made eight appearances this season, helping lead a defense that produced a school-record 16 shutouts.  Ododo Omo-Osagie is a sophomore goalkeeper for the Lady Eagles.  Omo-Osagie provided key back-up minutes for LHU’s All American keeper Tara Beach, playing in three games with no goals against and two saves. 

            Senior Lady Eagle Marci Yousaitis played a major role in The Haven’s midfield this season, tallying one goal and an assist.  Sara Segerlin was a newcomer to the Lady Eagle squad this season.  Segerlin red-shirted this season but is expected to be a big contributor to the LHU midfield next season.            

Amy Hale is a sophomore forward who registered eight goals and two assists this season, including goals in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship game against Indiana (Pa.) University and the national championship game versus Bentley College. Carrie Witherel is a sophomore forward for Lock Haven, making six appearances this season. 

            The 2000 Lock Haven University field hockey team finished 21-2-0 and won the NCAA Division II National Championship along with the PSAC post-season tournament crown and regular season title.

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) - Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania's Head Field Hockey Coach Pat Rudy has been named the Dita/National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division II National Coach of the Year. 
           Rudy, the Division II South Region Coach of the Year, led the Lady Eagles all the way to a 2000 NCAA Division II National Championship as well as the PSAC Championship, amassing a 21-2 record along the way.  This year's edition of the Crimson and White allowed just 12 goals all season, and 16 of the team's 21 wins, an incredible 76-percent, were shutouts.  In her five seasons at the helm of the Lock Haven program, Rudy has coached 21 All-Americans, 26 All-PSAC players, and two NCAA Division II Honda-Broderick Award nominees.  
            This year marked Rudy's 300^th career victory as a head coach, and she now holds an all-time 307-89-13 record.  Coach Rudy has three national championships on her ledger, including two Division III titles while at SUNY Cortland in 1993 and 1994.  This is her second national coach of the year title after earning Collegiate Field Hockey Coaches Association National Division III Coach of the Year honors in 1993.

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Dec. 8, 2000 - LHU FIELD HOCKEY PLAYERS NAB ECAC ALL-STAR HONORS 

(Lock Haven, Pa.) -  Three Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania field hockey players earned Eastern College Athletic Conference Division II All-Star honors, as selected by the league's coaches.  Senior midfielder Shanna Vitale (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) and juniors forward Shannon Spease (Liverpool/Greenwood) and keeper Tara Beach (Greene, N.Y./Greene Central) were Lock Haven's representatives among the 12 players selected.
            Senior midfielder Shanna Vitale, a three-time All-American, Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Field Hockey Athlete of the Year and an NCAA Championship All-Tournament team member, led the Lady Eagles in scoring with 17 goals and 11 assists for 45 points.  Vitale is the field hockey nominee for NCAA Division II's Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year Award presented by the Honda Awards program, and was also chosen for the NFHCA North/South Senior All-Star game.  With 39 goals in her two seasons at LHU (transferred from Mansfield University after sophomore season), Vitale wrapped up her career sixth on the Lady Eagles' all-time goals list.
           Junior goalkeeper Tara Beach, also a three-time All-American and All-PSAC player, recorded 15 shutouts this season en route to a conference leading 0.525 goals against average.  Starting in all 23 games, Beach let in only 12 goals while turning away 75 attempts on goal.  Her 15 shutout victories this season gives her 35 career shutouts, which tops The Haven's record books in the category.
           Junior forward Shannon Spease merited her first All-America award after finishing second on the team in scoring with a team-best 18 goals along with five assists for 41 points.  She scored two goals in the PSAC championship game against Indiana (Pa.) and earned the conference championships' MVP and first team All-PSAC awards.
           The Lock Haven field hockey team finished 21-2-0 and won the NCAA Division II National Championship along with the PSAC post-season tournament crown and regular season title.

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Dec. 6, 2000 - LHU'S VITALE NOMINATED FOR DIVISION II COLLEGIATE WOMEN'S ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

(Lock Haven, Pa.) - Shanna Vitale (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay), a senior field hockey player for Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, was selected as the field hockey nominee for 2000-2001 NCAA Division II Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year presented annually by the Honda Awards Program.  Vitale is one of 12 nominees from their respective sports who will be on the ballot to be completed in June 2001.
            A senior midfielder for the 2000 NCAA Division II National Champion field hockey team, Vitale led the Lady Eagles in scoring with 17 goals, including the game-winner in the national finals against Bentley College, and 11 assists for a total 45 points.  She is a three-time All-American (2000, 1998, 1997), the PSAC Field Hockey Athlete of the Year (2000), and an NCAA Championship All-Tournament team member.  She played in the NFHCA North/South Senior All-Star Game in November, and was also most recently included in Sports Illustrated's Faces in the Crowd feature in the November 27 issue.  
            Over the span of her two-year career at LHU (transfer from Mansfield University following her sophomore season), Vitale recorded 39 goals to rank sixth on the Lady Eagles' all-time goals list. 

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Dec. 5, 2000 - FIELD HOCKEY'S COACH RUDY NAMED DITA/NFHCA SOUTH REGION COACH OF THE YEAR

(Lock Haven, Pa.) - Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania's Head Field Hockey Coach Pat Rudy has been named the Dita/National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division II South Region Coach of the Year. 
        Rudy led the Lady Eagles all the way to the 2000 NCAA Division II National Championship as well as the PSAC Championship, amassing a 21-2 record along the way.  This year's edition of the Crimson and White allowed just 12 goals all season, and 16 of the team's 21 wins were shutouts.  In her five seasons at the helm of the Lock Haven program, Rudy has coached 21 All-Americans, 26 All-PSAC players, and two NCAA Division II Honda-Broderick Award nominees.  
       This year marked Rudy's 300^th career victory as a head coach, and she now holds an all-time 307-89-13 record.  Coach Rudy has three national championships on her ledger, including two Division III titles while at SUNY Cortland in 1993 and 1994. 

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Nov. 20, 2000 -  HAVEN FIELD HOCKEY PLAYERS NAB ALL-AMERICA AWARDS

(Lock Haven, Pa.) - Five Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania field hockey players received 2000 AstroTurf/National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division II All-America awards, including four first-team recipients.  Tara Beach (Greene, N.Y./Greene Central), Erika Grap (Van Etten, N.Y./Spencer-Van Etten), Shannon Spease (Liverpool/Greenwood), and Shanna Vitale (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) all earned First Team All-America honors, while rookie Jen DeNault (Hamburg/Hamburg) earned Second Team All-America accolades.

            Tara Beach, a junior goalkeeper, recorded 15 shutouts this season en route to a conference leading 0.525 goals against average.  Starting in all 23 games, Beach let in only 12 goals while turning away 75 attempts on goal.  Her 15 shutout victories this season gives her 35 career shutouts, which tops The Haven's record books in the category.   A three-time All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference keeper, this is also Beach's third All-America award, earning Second Team honors the past two seasons.

            Erika Grap is a sophomore forward who started in all 23 games this season for the Lady Eagles.  Third on the team in scoring, Grap posted 13 goals along with five assists, including the game-winning goal against Indiana (Pa.) in the NCAA Division II National Championship semifinals.  A second team All-PSAC selection and NCAA All-Tournament team selection, this is Grap's first All-America certificate.

            Junior forward Shannon Spease also merits her first All-America award after helping lead the Lady Eagles to their national championship.  Spease finished second on the team in scoring with a team-best 18 goals along with five assists for 41 points.  She scored two goals in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship game against Indiana (Pa.) and earned the PSAC Championships MVP and first team all-conference awards.  Spease then also netted one score against IUP in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament en route to earning NCAA All-Tournament honors.

            Senior midfielder Shanna Vitale is now a three-time All-American, also earning the honor in 1997 and 1998.  The PSAC Field Hockey Athlete of the Year and an NCAA Championship All-Tournament team member, Vitale led the Lady Eagles in scoring with 17 goals and 11 assists for 45 points.  Among her goals was the game winner in the national finals against Bentley College.  Vitale was also chosen for the NFHCA North/South Senior All-Star game.  With 39 goals in her two seasons at LHU (transferred from Mansfield University after sophomore season), Vitale wraps up her career sixth on the Lady Eagles' all-time goals list. 

            Receiving Second Team All-America accolades was freshman defender Jen DeNault. DeNault was the PSAC Rookie of the Year, contributing to a Haven defensive unit which posted 16 shutouts and allowed just 12 goals all season.  Also contributing three assists over the course of the year, DeNault was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team. 

            The Lock Haven field hockey team finished 21-2-0 and won the NCAA Division II National Championship along with the PSAC post-season tournament crown and regular season title.

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Nov. 7, 2000 -  VITALE, HICKEY SELECTED FOR NFHCA DIVISION II NORTH/SOUTH SENIOR ALL-STAR GAME 

(Lock Haven, Pa.) - Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania field hockey's Shanna Vitale (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) and Michelle Hickey (Greene, N.Y./Greene Central) were selected to participate in this year's National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division II North/South Senior All-Star Game.  This year's game will be held at Foreman Field on the campus of Old Dominion University on Saturday, November 18, at 4:30 p.m. 

            Shanna Vitale, a senior midfielder for the Lady Eagles, was selected the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference's Field Hockey Athlete of the Year and earned First Team All-PSAC and NCAA Division II National Championship All-Tournament team honors.  Now a three-time all-conference player, Vitale led the PSAC in scoring with 2.05 points per game off a total of 17 goals and 11 assists.  Vitale, who transferred to The Haven from Mansfield University for the 1998 season and was forced to sit out the 1999 season with a knee injury, is a two-time All-America player and is sixth on LHU's all-time scoring list with 39 goals in just two seasons of action for the Lady Eagles. 

            Michelle Hickey is a four-year veteran of The Haven program, earning a starting role in LHU's defensive unit as a junior.  This season's defense has allowed only 11 goals and has produced 15 shutout victories.  Hickey has also contributed three goals and four assists this season, including two game-winning scores. 

            The 2000 Lady Eagle field hockey team won the NCAA Division II National Championship, their fifth Division II title and seventh national championship overall, by defeating Bentley College, 2-0, in the finals last Sunday.  The Haven finished 21-2-0 overall and 8-0-0 in the PSAC, winning the conference regular season title along with the PSAC post-season crown. 

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Nov. 5, 2000 -  LOCK HAVEN DEFEATS BENTLEY COLLEGE FOR NATIONAL FIELD HOCKEY TITLE 

(Lock Haven, Pa.) — The Lock Haven Lady Eagles capture their fifth NCAA Division II title and their seventh national title overall as they defeated Bentley College, 2-0, in the 2000 NCAA Division II National Championship this afternoon at LHU’s Charlotte Smith Field.

LHU scored once in each half to secure the victory and finish the season with a 21-2-0 overall record. This is the first national crown for Haven Head Coach Pat Rudy, and the first for the squad since 1995. Bentley College closes their season with a 17-4-0 overall mark and its second consecutive runner-up honor.

An intense physical battle ensued in the first half, with both squads making breaks for the goal only to be thwarted by strong play by both defenses. Still, the momentum started to swing towards Lock Haven as the minutes went by, and on their second penalty corner attempt, Lock Haven’s Shanna Vitale (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) blasted a shot through to the back left of the cage for the game-winning score.

“Our corners are always huge for Lock Haven,” explained Lock Haven Head Coach Pat Rudy. “Shanna Vitale is extremely dangerous on those, and it’s a major part of our game plan. We didn’t get many in the first half, but in the second, we tried to keep the ball on the right, and get it to Vitale and Spease, and the result was that we did much better.”

The open of the second half was just as tight as the opening stanza, as the Lady Eagles and the Falcons were both able to advance the ball down field. The Haven was the only team able to get the shots off inside the circle, however, and went up by two after Vitale’s free hit was redirected for the score by Amy Hale (Hanover/South Western) in the 55th minute.

“It was great to get that first goal, but 1-0 is not a comfortable lead, and neither is 2-0 for that matter, it’s actually even less so because your kids could start to lay off a little,” said Coach Rudy.

And Bentley did counter, earning the penalty corner attempt with 12:30 remaining, but the shot attempt by Allyson Bunce (East Dennis, Mass./Dennis-Yarmouth Regional) was stopped by LHU’s Jen DeNault (Hamburg/Hamburg), and The Haven regained control.

“Jen DeNault has been so poised for a freshman,” said Coach Rudy. “She got caught a few times in the first half, but she came out on that penalty corner and was right there.”

LHU would set the pace for the remainder of the half, taking a total 12 shots on goal in the second period, and would hold on to its lead for the national title.

“They were just attacking us very strongly all game,” said Bentley Head Coach Kelly McGowan. “We have a young defense, and they were just taking advantage of it.”

“I am proud of the team for getting here again,” continued Coach McGowan. “We lost a lot of senior leadership and big players from last season, and everyone told us it was going to be a rebuilding year, but it wasn’t. We played ourselves back to the national championships, and it’s unfortunate that it had to end the same way it did last year, but they’ve just all done a good job.”

“It feels great — we’ve been waiting for this for five years,” exclaimed Lock Haven Head Coach Pat Rudy. “The team has been goal-oriented from the start, and this was what we were shooting for.”

The Championships All-Tournament Team consists of Sarah Alves and Morgan Phillips of Saint Michael’s College, Bethany Caputa and Jen Lawler of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Kristyn Bates, Allyson Bunce, and Ann Marie Sheridan of Bentley College, and Lock Haven’s Erika Grap, Jen DeNault, Shannon Spease, and Shanna Vitale.

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Nov. 3, 2000 -  LADY EAGLE FIELD HOCKEY TEAM ADVANCES TO NCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS

(Lock Haven, Pa.) — Lock Haven’s Erika Grap (Van Etten, N.Y./Spencer-Van Etten) used a scoop shot to the upper right corner of the cage to net the winning goal for the Lady Eagles, catapulting Lock Haven to its ninth title game appearance with a 2-1 victory over Indiana University of Pennsylvania (14-6-0) ) in today's NCAA Division II National Championship semifinal round.

Lock Haven dominated the first half of play, outshooting the Indians 21-1, but the offense could not convert and so the squads entered the half deadlocked in a scoreless tie.

“We didn’t get a good start, but towards the end of the first half, we really began to pick it up,” said LHU Head Coach Pat Rudy. “Indiana was marking Shannon Spease hard, and as soon as she got across the 25 yardline, they double-teamed her. And that was an effective strategy, because it did take her out of her normal game plan.”

After 21 shots on goal in the first half but no goals to show for it, The Haven attack took little time going back at it, with junior forward Shannon Spease (Liverpool/Greenwood) finally netting a score in the 38th minute to give LHU the 1-0 lead. Senior back Michelle Hickey (Greene, N.Y./Greene Central) got the ball off a penalty corner on the top right of the arc, and rocketed a shot towards the cage, and Spease stepped in and redirected it past IUP’s Jen Lawler (Schnecksville/Parkland) for the goal.

“Our corners were on, if you get the shot on goal, you did your job, and then you have to get the second shot, and at first we couldn’t get that for whatever reason,” said Rudy. “We tried a different penalty corner on that first goal. Michelle Hickey was key to that—it was a great goal, and we hadn’t scored off that corner all year. If you can get the redirect, you can get it around the goalie, because she almost always set for that first shot.”

Indiana’s Julie Hess (East Greenville/Upper Perkiomen) scored the equalizer off a shuffle pass from Michelle Benko (Lancaster/Lancaster Catholic), slipping the ball past the LHU defense and into the bottom left corner of the cage in the 54th minute to knot the contest at 1-1.

But The Haven prevailed, with Grap scoring the game-winner with just over eight minutes remaining. “Erika Grap was huge,” commented Rudy. “Usually we rely on Spease for the main portion of our offensive attack, but Grap was carrying the ball well and had beautiful shots.”

“They [Lock Haven] have an incredible defense — we only got four shots off. The attack is very smart too, and we had trouble shutting them down,” said IUP Head Coach Noelle Bowman.

For the contest, Lock Haven outshot Indiana by a 49-4 margin, a new NCAA Division II championship record for shots by a team as well as the record for combined shots. The Haven also held a 20-2 advantage in penalty corners.

Lock Haven keeper Tara Beach (Greene, N.Y./Greene Central) spent the entire 70 minutes in goal, allowing just one score. IUP’s keeper Jen Lawler made an incredible 29 saves, while allowing two goals.

“Jen Lawler had an outstanding year, is a hard worker, but sometimes we rely on her a little too much to play big, but she’s really stepped up her level of play this year,” commented Bowman.

“You have to give a lot of credit to their goalkeeper — she did a great job. The last part of the first half we were pounding the goal, and we also had some good corner shots,” echoed LHU’s Rudy.

The Lady Eagles, now 20-2-0 overall, will face Bentley College (17-3-0) in the championship game on Sunday, November 5, at 1 p.m. on Lock Haven’s Charlotte Smith Field.

Oct. 31, 2000 -  LADY EAGLE FIELD HOCKEY PLAYERS 
                      AWARDED ALL-PSAC HONORS
                      Vitale Named Athlete of the Year, DeNault Selected As Rookie of the Year

(Lock Haven, Pa.) – Six Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania women's field hockey players were awarded All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference honors and Shanna Vitale (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) and Jen DeNault (Hamburg/Hamburg) were selected the Field Hockey Athlete and Rookie of the Year.  Tara Beach (Greene, N.Y./Greene Central), Shannon Spease (Liverpool/Greenwood), and Vitale all earned First Team honors, and DeNault along with Erika Grap (Van  Etten, N.Y./Spencer-Van Etten) were selected for Second Team accolades.

            Vitale, a senior midfielder for the Lady Eagles, was selected the league's Athlete of the Year and earned First Team All-PSAC honors.  Now a three-time all-conference player, Vitale is currently the PSAC's top scorer with 2.10 points per game off a total of 16 goals and 10 assists.  Vitale, who transferred to The Haven from Mansfield University for the 1998 season and then was forced to sit out the 1999 season with a knee injury, is a two-time All-America player and is sixth on LHU's all-time scoring list with 38 goals in just two seasons of action. 

            DeNault joins the Lady Eagle lineup from Hamburg (Pa.) High School, and has been an integral player in a defensive unit that has recorded 15 shutouts and allowed only 11 goals all season.  The rookie defender has also contributed three assists over the course of the year.

            Junior goalkeeper Tara Beach picks up her third all-conference nomination, leading the PSAC with a 0.527 GAA and 14 shutouts.  A two-time All-American, Beach has recorded 74 saves this season.

            Shannon Spease, a junior forward for the Lady Eagles, makes her first appearance on the All-PSAC list.  Spease is second on the squad in scoring with 17 goals and five assists, and was named the PSAC Championship MVP after scoring two goals in the 6-0 victory over Indiana (Pa.) last Saturday. 

            Sophomore forward Erika Grap joins DeNault on the Second Team.  Grap is third among the Lady Eagles in scoring with 12 goals and five assists, and has scored the game-winner on two occasions this season. 

            The 2000 PSAC regular season and post-season champions, the Lady Eagle field hockey (19-2-0) team hosts the 2000 NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championships this weekend.  The four-team field will kick off competition on Friday, November 3, with the semifinal round, and culminate with the championship game on Sunday, November 5, at 1 p.m.  Bentley College and Saint Michael's College will face each other at 12 p.m. on Friday, and Lock Haven and Indiana (Pa.) University will square off at 3 p.m. that same day.

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) - The battle for the 22^nd annual Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Field Hockey championship will set Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania (18-2-0) against Indiana University of Pennsylvania (14-4-0) on Saturday, October 28, at 7 p.m. on Lock Haven's Charlotte Smith Field.  

            Lock Haven, the No. 1 seed in the tournament, won the conference regular season title by recording an undefeated 8-0-0 mark in PSAC competition. By virtue of their top seed, the Lady Eagles earned a bye in the first round of action and the right to host the championship game.  Indiana, the No. 2 seed, advanced to the finals after a 2-0 victory over defending champion and No. 3 seed Bloomsburg University on Tuesday afternoon. 

            The Lady Eagles, ranked No. 1 in the nation (STX/NFHCA) for the past four weeks, make their 16^th appearance in the PSAC title game, having brought home the trophy nine times including their most recent in 1998.   LHU is second in the PSAC in scoring (69 goals), and has allowed the fewest goals this season with only 11 scores by opponents. The team's undefeated PSAC record was the first since 1995 under then head coach Sharon E. Taylor.  Leading the offensive attack for LHU is senior midfielder Shanna Vitale (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) and junior forward Shannon Spease (Liverpool/Greenwood).  Vitale has 15 goals and eight assists and tops the PSAC in scoring with 2.00 points per game.  Spease has also scored 15 goals this season, and along with five assists, is sixth in the conference in scoring at 1.75 per game.  Other Lady Eagle scoring threats include sophomore forward Erika Grap (Van Etten, N.Y./Spencer-Van Etten) (12g, 4a) and junior forward Val George (New Oxford/New Oxford) (8g, 5a). 

            Leading the Haven defense, which has notched an impressive 14 shutout victories, is junior goalkeeper Tara Beach (Greene, N.Y./Greene Central).  Beach is second in the conference with a 0.55 GAA, and has recorded 13 shutouts this season, enough to put her in first place all-time at LHU in the category, now with 33 for her career.  Also contributing to LHU's stingy defensive unit are senior back Michelle Hickey (Greene, N.Y./Greene Central), junior Katie Cornax (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay), and freshman Janelle Ebaugh (McSherrystown/Littlestown). 

            Indiana is currently ranked fourth in the nation, and advances to the PSAC Championship game for the first time since its origin in 1979.  Prior to Tuesday's win over Bloomsburg, IUP had won only one PSAC playoff contest in two trips, a 1-0 consolation round victory over East Stroudsburg in 1986.   The Indians are fourth in the conference in scoring with 2.59 points per game, and have allowed only 17 goals over the season.  The IUP offense is piloted by sophomore forward Julie Hess (East Greenville/Upper Perkiomen), who is second in the PSAC in scoring with 1.94 points per game off of 13 goals and nine assists.  Senior forwards Michelle Benko (Lancaster/Lancaster Catholic) (14g, 3a) and Krista Herman (Hamburg/Hamburg) (10g, 3a) are also explosive scoring threats and each scored a goal in IUP's semifinal victory. 

            Junior netminder Jen Lawler (Schnecksville/Parkland) earned her second shutout of the season in IUP's win over Bloomsburg, and is currently the top keeper in the PSAC with a 0.54 GAA.  Other players contributing to the IUP defense include Becky Frank (Pennsburg/Upper Perkiomen), Jill Kline (Bethlehem/Northampton), and Nicole Lafever (Leola/Conestoga Valley).

The regular season match-up between Lock Haven and IUP took place on Charlotte Smith Field and went into overtime with LHU taking a 2-1 victory after 84 minutes of play. 

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) - Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania field hockey's Shanna Vitale (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./John Jay) earned Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference and Eastern College Athletic Conference Player of the Week honors for the week ending October 22.  It is her second time receiving both honors this season.

            Vitale, a senior midfielder for the Lady Eagles, recorded four goals and two assists to help lead Lock Haven to a 3-0 week.  She scored two goals, including the game winner, and an assist in a 6-0 win over Millersville University, had one goal in the 3-0 victory against Slippery Rock University, and added a goal and an assist in the 4-0 win over No. 9-ranked Assumption College. 

            Vitale currently leads the team in scoring with 15 goals and eight assists for 38 points. 

            The No. 1-ranked (STX/NFHCA) Lady Eagle field hockey team finished the season at 18-2-0 and 8-0-0 in conference to earn a #1 seed in the PSAC Championship playoffs.  The Haven will host the title game on Saturday, October 28, at 7 p.m.  They face the winner of the semifinal game between #2 Indiana (Pa.) University and #3 Bloomsburg University.  

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) - Shannon Spease (Liverpool/ Greenwood), a field hockey player for Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Player of the Week for the week ending October 15.  

          Spease scored five goals and one assist to help Lock Haven to a 4-0 record this past week.  The junior forward notched the tying goal against Bloomsburg University and recorded two goals against Mansfield University.  In non-conference match-ups last week, Spease tallied a goal against Philadelphia University and also posted the game-winning score against Longwood College.

          For the season, Spease leads the Lady Eagles in scoring with 28 points resulting from 12 goals and four assists. 

            The Lady Eagle field hockey team is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation (NFHCA), and is now 15-2-0 overall and 6-0-0 in the PSAC.  Up next for The Haven is conference opponent Millersville University (4-12, 2-5 PSAC) on Wednesday, October 18, at 4 p.m.

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) - Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania's Field Hockey Head Coach Pat Rudy picked up her 300^th career win as a head coach on Saturday after the Lady Eagle field hockey team defeated Philadelphia University, 6-0. 

               The win put Rudy at 300-89-13 in this, her 20^th year as a head coach.  Coach Rudy was head coach at the State University of New York at Cortland from 1981-’96, where she claimed two NCAA Division III national championships.  Her team made two other appearances in the Division III Final Four, made 12 total appearances in the Division III national tournament, and won seven New York State Women's Collegiate Athletic Association titles. 

                Now in her fifth year as head coach at Lock Haven University, Rudy has amassed an 84-22 record, and has won two Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference titles and has taken the Lady Eagles to the NCAA Division II National Championship game on two occasions. 

                Coach Rudy is only the third head coach at Lock Haven, following the legendary names of Charlotte Smith and Sharon E. Taylor.  She is a 1977 graduate of Lock Haven State College, earned her master's degree in physical education from Illinois State University, and has completed work towards her educational doctorate at Temple University.

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) - The Lock Haven University women’s field hockey team earned a No. 1 spot in the latest National Field Hockey Coaches Association rankings (10/3).

The Lady Eagles, now 10-1 and 4-0 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, earned their first top national ranking after being ranked third in the STX/NFHCA poll last week.  The Haven made its move to No. 1 by defeating then No.-1 ranked Indiana (Pa.) University, 2-1 in overtime last Wednesday, and Southern Connecticut State University, 7-0, on Saturday.

The LHU field hockey team will next travel to Bucknell University on Tuesday before hosting the Red Dragons of SUNY Cortland University on Saturday, October 7 at 1 p.m.

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(Lock Haven, Pa.) - Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania field hockey's Shanna Vitale (Hopewell Junction, N.Y./
John Jay) earned Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Co-Player of the Week honors for the week ending September 30.  Vitale shares the accolade with East Stroudsburg University's Kate Dideon.  

           Vitale, a senior forward for the Lady Eagles, was a key player in extending LHU's winning streak to seven games this past week with a 2-1 overtime win over No. 1-ranked (STX/NFHCA) Indiana (Pa.) University and a 7-0 victory over Southern Connecticut State University.  Vitale scored the equalizer against IUP to send the contest into the extra stanza, then added her first hat trick of the season in the Southern Connecticut win. 

            For the season, Vitale tops The Haven scoring charts with nine goals and three assists for a total of 21 points. 

            The Lady Eagle field hockey team (10-1-0, 4-0-0 PSAC) is currently ranked No. 3 among all Division II programs (next NFHCA poll to be released 10/3).  Lock Haven travels to Bucknell University tomorrow for a 7 p.m. dual, then returns home for another non-conference match-up, hosting Cortland (N.Y.) State University on Saturday, October 7, at 1 p.m.

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Sept. 25, 2000 - LHU FIELD HOCKEY DEFENSIVE UNIT 
                       EARNS PSAC ACCOLADE

(Lock Haven, Pa.) - The Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania field hockey defense was awarded the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Player of the Week honor for the week ending September 24.  The No. 3-ranked Haven went 2-0 last week, earning a 1-0 win over Kutztown University and a 3-0 victory against #7 Mercyhurst College.

                The Lady Eagle defensive unit held the Kutztown University and Mercyhurst College offenses in check, allowing only 11 total shots on goal in 140 minutes of play.  Junior goalkeeper Tara Beach (Greene, N.Y./Greene) took care of the attackers who managed to break through the LHU line, stopping six shots and allowing no goals to play a key role in the squad's sixth and seventh shutouts of the season.  Among those field players contributing on the Haven defense are Katie Cornax (Hopewell Junction/John Jay), Michelle Hickey (Greene, N.Y./Greene Central), Janelle Ebaugh (McSherrystown/Littlestown), and Angelique Conlin (Lititz/Warwick).

                The Lock Haven field hockey team is now 8-1-0 and 3-0-0 in PSAC competition.  The Lady Eagles are currently outscoring opponents by a 27-6 margin. 

                Next up for the Lady Eagles is #1 Indiana (Pa.) University on Wednesday, September 27, at home on Charlotte Smith Field at 7 p.m.

Three Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania field hockey players were among those recognized with Astro-Turf/NFCHA Division II All-American honors for the 1999 season. Senior midfielders Cori Anderson (Mt. Upton, NY/Afton Central) and Becky Hinton (York/Dallastown) were awarded First Team All-America accolades, while sophomore goalkeeper Tara Beach (Greene, NY/Greene) earned Second Team All-American honors. All three are repeat award winners.

Senior midfielder Cori Anderson completed her final season with the Lady Eagle field hockey team with six goals and a team-high 13 assists. A four-time All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference selection, this is Anderson's first time on the First Team All-America list after earning Second Team honors last season. For her career, she recorded 20 goals and 28 assists. Anderson was also a participant in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association North/South Senior All-Star Game.

Becky Hinton, also a senior midfielder, was selected as a First Team All-American after earning Second Team honors last season. Hinton led this year's squad with 38 points from 13 goals and 12 assists. A three-time all-conference player, including First-Team honors this season, she wraps up her career with 31 goals and 35 assists and is ninth on The Haven's all-time goals list. Hinton joined Anderson as a participant in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association North/South Senior All-Star Game.

Sophomore goalkeeper Tara Beach makes a repeat appearance on the Second-Team All-American list, having earned like honors last season. Beach recorded seven shutouts and allowed just 21 goals this season on her way to a 0.948 goals against average. For her career, Beach, a two-time First Team All-PSAC player, has posted 21 shutouts and has a 0.823 GAA.

The Lady Eagle field hockey team was 17-5 this season, finishing as the runners-up at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference post-season tournament to the eventual national champions of Bloomsburg University. With these latest awards, The Haven now claims 66 All-America awards to 38 different players in the 21 years the status has been granted.

Two Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania field hockey players were selected to play in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division II North/South Senior All-Star Game.

LHU midfielders Cori Anderson (Mt. Upton, N.Y./Greene Central) and Becky Hinton (York/Dallastown), who led their team to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference title game, will participate in the All-Star game at Parsons Field on the campus of Northeastern University on Saturday, November 20. The Division II/III game is slated for a 5:30 p.m. start.

Anderson led the Lady Eagles in assists this season (13) and notched six goals in her final run with the team. She finishes with 20 goals and 28 assists for her career. In addition to making the NFHCA All-Star Team, Hinton also was voted to the All-PSAC First Team for the second year in a row after making the Second Team her initial two years on the squad. She earned Second-Team All-American honors in 1998.

Hinton led this year's unit with 38 points from 13 goals and 12 assists, including two in The Haven's conference semifinal win over Shippensburg University. Her final career numbers consist of 31 goals and 35 assists. She also made the First-Team All-PSAC list this term following a Second-Team All-American and Second-Team All-PSAC appearance last season.

The Lady Eagles fell short of a championship in the PSAC to Bloomsburg with a 2-0 loss in the hard-fought title game. Their final ledger for the 1999 season is an overall record of 17-5 and a 6-2 mark in the PSAC.

Four members of the Lock Haven University field hockey team were selected as First Team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference players for the 1999 season.

The LHU Lady Eagles had their season cut short last Saturday as they finished as the runners-up at the conference championships at Bloomsburg, Pa., falling in a hard fought title game to the Huskies, 2-0.

Lock Haven makes its 15^th appearance in the PSAC Championship game, and has won the PSAC title nine times. Bloomsburg makes its 17^th appearance, and has also taken home the crown nine times. The only other team to win a conference title is Millersville University, who earned championship wins in 1985 and 1986.

The winner of this semifinal match will advance to face Bloomsburg University, the No. 1 seed, at Bloomsburg on Saturday, October 30, at 12 p.m. Last season, No. 2 seed Lock Haven advanced to the finals with a 3-2 overtime victory against Kutztown. The Lady Eagles then defeated No. 1 seed Bloomsburg, 2-1, for the PSAC crown.

Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania field hockey student-athlete Becky Hinton (York, PA/Dallastown) was selected as the PSAC Player of the Week for the week ending September 7^th.

Hinton, a senior midfielder, notched two goals and three assists in the Lady Eagles' two games last week, helping the squad to a 2-0 start. She assisted on two goals in The Haven's season-opening 4-1 win over Houghton College, and then added two goals and one assist in a 4-0 sweep of Longwood College.

With seven total points this season, Hinton currently leads all Lady Eagle scoring. In the 1998 season, she finished second among her teammates with 36 points (12 goals, 12 assists), and was selected a second-team All-American and a second-team All-PSAC player.

Hinton is an English and Spanish major at Lock Haven University.

Lock Haven University student-athlete Cheri Drysdale (Chester, N.J./Mendham) was selected as the Dr. Charlotte E. Smith Award winner at the LHU Women’s Sports Banquet today.

The award is presented annually to the top senior LHU female athlete who has managed a balance of outstanding athletic accomplishments and contributions as a leader, both inside and outside of athletics. It is named after the former Lock Haven University field hockey, basketball and lacrosse coach, and professor of physical education, who dedicated a great deal of her life to women’s athletics.

Drysdale is a two-time All-American in field hockey and lacrosse. In field hockey, she earned first-team honors in 1998 and second-team in 1996. She was a two-time first-team selection in lacrosse during the same years. Drysdale has led by example both on the field and in the classroom through inspiring play, and by earning a 3.537 cumulative GPA in athletic training/health science with a minor in psychology. She made the Dean’s List in both 1996 and 1998 (for 3.5+ GPA).

Drysdale finished a stellar field hockey career with 52 points off 15 goals and 22 assists. This past season she had a team-high 12 assists and was second in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference with .52 assists per game. Also, she was the leader of LHU’s defense, which tied for a league-high 14 shutouts and allowed just 0.7 goals per game.

In addition to being named as an All-American in two sports, she has received numerous honors, including being selected to the NFHCA Division II National Academic Squad. She was also chosen to represent the United States on the Women’s Junior World Cup field hockey team in 1997, and is currently a finalist for the Honda-Broderick Award, presented annually to the top female student-athlete in Division II.

Drysdale is currently working with USA Rowing and other sports at the ARCO United States Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. In addition, she has volunteered her time at the Whiteside Rehabilitation Center, the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, Inc. and Xercise, Inc.