FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
28 October 2003

Lady Eagles Fall To Shippensburg 3-2 in Overtime in PSAC Semifinal

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(Shippensburg, Pa.) -- The Lady Eagle field hockey team saw its 2003 campaign draw to a close this afternoon in a heart-breaking 3-2 overtime loss against second-seeded Shippensburg University (19-2) in a PSAC Tournament Semifinal match-up.  Lock Haven, who entered as the tournament’s third seed, wraps up the season at 17-4 overall.  It is the first season since 1988, when the Lady Eagles were classified as Division I and did not compete in the conference, that Lock Haven will not be playing for the PSAC title.
            A close game throughout, the Lady Raiders of Shippensburg broke the early scoring drought as time slipped off the clock in the opening period.  Kelly Stewart rocketed a shot from the top of the circle through the defense after a pass from Carli Bordner on a penalty corner attempt to put the home team up by one goal.  Lock Haven responded quickly, bringing the game back to even just a minute later with a direct shot drilled into the cage by Courtney Hughes (Schwenksville/Souderton) on a penalty corner play assisted by Jen DeNault (Hamburg/Hamburg).  
           The Lady Eagles struck first in the second half as Kellie Kulina (Hummelstown/Lower Dauphin) out-maneuvered Shippensburg keeper Nora Luchansky on a break-away down the field, then slapped the ball through to the back of the untended cage for the 2-1 lead with 30:04 left.  
          With the pressure on, the Raiders’ Kirsten Houck took a shot with 18 minutes to go to tie the score after getting around LHU goalie Melissa Stubblefield (Carmel, N.Y./Carmel).  LHU defender Erin Weibley (Loysville/West Perry) raced in to clear the ball, however, preserving the lead.  
       That lead would last only two minutes longer, as Shippensburg’s Stewart and Bordner connected for the second time on a penalty corner with 16:46 remaining to knot the score at 2-2.  The Raiders got off two more shots and LHU took one more in the remainder of regulation but all flew wide, bringing on the sudden victory overtime.
         Kulina had Shippensburg’s Luchansky beat again in the overtime period, but this time the Raiders’ Hilary Manning lunged to the rescue and spoiled the near-goal.  At the 6:23 mark, Shippensburg’s Lindsey Knupp broke for the goal, and upon drawing LHU’s Stubblefield out of the cage, crossed to an unguarded Natalie Grazan, who met the pass and ended the game with a goal with 6:23 remaining.   
         Shippensburg had a 23-20 advantage in shots but Lock Haven owned a 14-9 edge on corners. LHU’s Melissa Stubblefield recorded 10 saves in the loss, while Shippensburg’s Luchansky had three saves.  
        Shippensburg’s challenger for the PSAC title will be the top-seeded Bloomsburg University Huskies, who defeated Indiana (Pa.), 3-0, in the other semifinal.  The PSAC Championship game is slated for 2:30 p.m. on Sat., Nov. 1, in Bloomsburg, Pa.

PSAC Tournament Semifinal: Shippensburg University 3, Lock Haven 2 (OT)
10/28/03  -  Shippensburg, Pa.