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EASTON, Mass. – All season long, the Shippensburg University field hockey team has sought to "Leave a Legacy," playing in memory of their late coach and player Amanda Strous by uniting under the collective mantra of "Live, Laugh, Love."
 
On Sunday, the most emotional season in the history of SU Field Hockey culminated with a national championship, as the Raiders defeated East No. 1 seed LIU Post, 2-1, on a cold and windy afternoon at Stonehill College's W.B. Mason Stadium.
 
Shippensburg (20-3), the No. 3 team from the Atlantic Region, won three straight games as a lower seed to claim national glory – first beating No. 2 seed East Stroudsburg on their home turf in the NCAA Quarterfinals (2-1) before Friday's victory over No. 1 seed Millersville in the NCAA Semifinals.
 
In Sunday's win, the Raiders scored an early goal seven minutes into the contest on a highlight-reel goal, as junior Emily Barnard had a diving tip-in on a long hit from junior Brooke Sheibley that gave Shippensburg a 1-0 lead.  
 
SU led by the same score at the intermission having posted a 6-1 edge in penalty corners and controlling much of the possession. That continued into the second half, and the Raiders ultimately went ahead 2-0 with 8:50 remaining when senior Katelyn Grazan slammed home a loose ball off a scrum into an open cage.
 
The difference in the contest was the ability of the Raiders to possess the ball and string together multiple passes in the offensive end. SU produced its most offensive scoring chances of its three NCAA Tournament contests, while limiting LIU Post to just three credited shots in the game.
 
"It was our team philosophy of passing the ball and playing together as a team," head coach Bertie Landes said of the key to victory. "We were very committed and focused on using each other and everyone doing their job. Together, we could succeed."
 
LIU Post (16-4), despite trailing by two goals, put forth an incredible fight to the final whistle, and nearly came all the way back to tie the game. The Pioneers called timeout after the second goal and substituted its goaltender for a kicking back. Intense pressure ensued, with Post scoring a goal with 4:14 remaining.
 
SU possessed in the corners and attempted multiple long hits to kill time, but the Pioneers ended up with the ball late and nearly tied it in the final minute with a rocket shot toward the left cage that was blockered away by redshirt-sophomore goalkeeper Ally Mooney.
                                               
Shippensburg ultimately staved off the final flurry for the victory, winning by the exact same score as it did over LIU Post in 2013 (2-1). It was the first meeting between the two teams since that National Championship game.
 
"The road that this team took was very tough," Landes said. "With Strous's death, the only way we could honor her was to live our lives. This senior class, and this team, just wanted to leave a legacy. A life lived every day, with love for each other, caring, concern, and a lot of laughter."
 
The victory marks the second NCAA Division II Championship in school history, accompanying the 2013 title. This year's senior class – Grazan, Taylor Fisher, Suzanne Muller, Cassie Rawa and Miranda Wallace – officially bookends their careers with national championships.
 
"I couldn't have asked for a better freshman year, and I couldn't have asked for a better senior year," Fisher said. "This team has just worked so hard, and every single player on this team deserves what we just won today. Not just the seniors, every single one. We've all worked so hard."
 
The SU senior class completes their careers with a 68-14 record, two NCAA Championships, four PSAC Tournament appearances, and memories that will last a lifetime.
 
"Their courage, their love for each other, and their focus on making sure the whole team knew what we wanted to accomplish," Landes said in regards to what made her seniors so special. "They were leaders in every sense of the word. They weren't dictators – the decisions were made by the team – and they just led this team through example, which is far better than my word."
 
Fisher, Muller, and the entirety of the Raider defense completes the year by setting a school record in allowing just 11 goals in a season, including just one first-half goal all year long. The 2001 and 2013 teams held the previous record with just 13 goals allowed.
 
SU also finished as the national leader in goals-against average (GAA) (0.46), save percentage (.899) and shutouts (14). The 14 shutouts tie the school record set by the 1979 team, while Mooney's 13 goaltender shutouts are an individual record.
 
Shippensburg made its 12th NCAA Tournament appearance and is now 7-10 overall in NCAA postseason play. The Raiders are now 2-1 in NCAA Championship games, with the other appearance being in the 2010 title contest versus Massachusetts-Lowell.
 
"It's an incredible feeling," Landes said. "I think winning your last game is the ultimate feeling, as a player and as a coach. It's very satisfying."
 
SU becomes just the second No. 3 seed from a region to win a NCAA Field Hockey Championship, joining the 2011 West Chester team.
 
"We had a lot of fun," Landes said. "There's no greater joy than to look at your team and see what they've accomplished through the tough times."