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October 31, 2002
LHU Field Hockey To Defend Conference Title on Saturday
Lady Eagles Will Travel to Bloomsburg For Championship Tilt

(Lock Haven, Pa.) - The Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania field hockey team (18-3, 6-2 PSAC) travels to Bloomsburg University (18-0, 8-0 PSAC) to decide the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championship on Saturday, November 2. The game is slated for a 1 p.m. start. The Lady Eagles were the second seed in the tournament, defeating Shippensburg University, 3-2, to advance to the title game. Bloomsburg is the top seed and scored a 2-1 win over East Stroudsburg University in the semifinal round.
            The Lady Eagles are ranked second in the nation in the latest National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) NCAA Division II poll, while the Huskies of Bloomsburg own the number-one ranking with a still unblemished mark of 18-0.
            Lock Haven is the conference leader with 11 PSAC titles including the last two in 2000 and 2001. Bloomsburg is nipping on the heels of the Lady Eagles with 10 conference championships. The last time the PSAC championship game was held in Bloomsburg was also the last time the Huskies advanced to the finals, Bloomsburg scoring a 2-0 win over Lock Haven during the 1999 season. In fact, the Lady Eagles have only won once out of five times (2-1 in 1998) when they have had to travel to Bloomsburg for the title game.

#2 Lock Haven: This marks the 14^th straight appearance in the PSAC championship game for Lock Haven. The Lady Eagles have qualified for the PSAC tournament in each of seventh-year Head Coach Pat Rudy’s seasons at the helm and have won the championship on a total of four occasions (2001, 2000, 1998, 1996).
            This year’s Lady Eagle squad improved to 18-3 overall after the semifinal win over Shippensburg. Both of LHU’s losses to Division II teams were PSAC squads, falling 1-0 to both Bloomsburg and East Stroudsburg in the regular season. The loss to Bloomsburg came on the road on a goal scored off a penalty corner with no time remaining on the clock.
            Leading the squad in scoring is senior forward Erika Grap (Van Etten, N.Y./Spencer-Van Etten). Grap has posted a career-best 15 goals and five assists to pace The Haven, including four goals in the final two games of the regular season. Junior midfielder Janelle Ebaugh (Hanover/Littlestown) ranks second among LHU scorers with 11 goals and nine assists in what is also her most productive season on record. Sophomore midfielder Kellie Kulina (Hummelstown/Lower Dauphin) leads the conference in assists with 12, and has also beat opposing keepers for nine goals.
            Freshman Nikki Sweger (Dauphin/Central Dauphin East), senior Amy Hale (Hanover/Southwestern), and sophomore Courtney Diener (Bird-in-Hand/Conestoga Valley) have all been key offensive players for The Haven. Sweger has pocketed ten goals and eight assists in her inaugural campaign, while Hale has registered seven goals and seven assists. Though not a regular starter, Diener has been a big threat off the bench with a season total of five goals.
            Joining Ebaugh and Hale in the midfield are Katie Stewartz (Boyertown/Boyertown) and Sara Segerlin (Penfield, N.Y./Webster). Stewartz has recorded five assists and one goal, while Segerlin has added three scores to the offense.
            Defensively, junior Jen DeNault (Hamburg/Hamburg) leads a unit that has allowed 18 goals (.86 per game average) and tallied 11 shutouts. DeNault has also been a key player on penalty corners and as a result is third on the team in scoring with 11 goals and eight assists, including two goals in the semifinal victory. Aiding DeNault in the backfield are freshmen Courtney Hughes (Schwenksville/Souderton) and Rebecca Steffen (Hawley/Wallenpaupack Area). In goal, sophomore Melissa Stubblefield (Carmel, N.Y./Carmel) is a quickly developing force who currently owns a 0.85 goals against average with 100 saves on the season.

Jen DeNault scored two of LHU's three
goals in a 3-2 victory over Shippensburg
to advance to the PSAC Championship

PSAC Championships Lock Haven (11), Bloomsburg (10), Millersville (2)
1979 – Lock Haven 1980 – Lock Haven 1981 – Lock Haven 1982 – Lock Haven 1983 – Bloomsburg 1984 – Bloomsburg 1985 – Millersville 1986 – Millersville 1987 – Bloomsburg 1988 – Bloomsburg 1989 – Lock Haven 1990 – Bloomsburg	1991 – Bloomsburg 1992 – Bloomsburg 1993 – Bloomsburg 1994 – Lock Haven 1995 – Lock Haven 1996 – Lock Haven 1997 – Bloomsburg 1998 – Lock Haven 1999 – Bloomsburg 2000 – Lock Haven 2001— Lock Haven

#1 Bloomsburg University: The Huskies are 18-0 overall and wrapped up the conference season at 8-0. Bloomsburg’s offense registers 4.1 goals per game while the defense has let in just nine scores all season in addition to 12 shutout victories.
            To reach the championship game, Bloomsburg’s Keri Beckhorn and Shanna Fritz each scored goals within the semifinal game’s first 20 minutes to lift the Huskies over East Stroudsburg University, 2-1.
            Three players have done the most damage to opponents – junior forwards Shanna Fritz (14 goals, 8 assists), Nikki Hartranft (13 goals, 5 assists), and Sheila Zilinski (11 goals, 8 assists).   The Huskies front several other scoring threats in senior Keri Beckhorn (7 goals, 1 assist), rookie Marie Zorzi (6 goals, 3 assists), junior Stephanie Beck (6 goals), and sophomore Elyce Morring (6 goals).
            Defensively, goalkeeper Trish Leitzel keeps opponent offenses in check with a 0.46 goals against average, 49 saves, and 10 shutouts.

Regular-Season Outcome: The Lock Haven-Bloomsburg regular season contest at Bloomsburg ended in a 1-0 loss for the Lady Eagles, outdone by a penalty corner goal by Stephanie Beck with no time left on the clock. Bloomsburg had been in control most of the contest, out-shooting Lock Haven, 15-2, and holding a 17-2 advantage in penalty corners.

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