SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - The Shippensburg University field hockey program, ranked No. 2 in Division II, clinched a spot in the PSAC Tournament for the ninth consecutive season under head coach Bertie Landes on Wednesday afternoon at Robb Sports Complex with a convincing 4-0 victory over PSAC Western Division opponent Mercyhurst.

Shippensburg (14-1, 6-0 PSAC West) dominated the Lakers by producing one of its strongest and most consistent efforts of the season. The Lady Raiders recorded a 19-4 advantage in shots and a 13-2 edge in penalty corners, holding Mercyhurst without a corner until more than 45 minutes had elapsed in the contest.

Senior Laura Wylde opened the scoring at 8:52 by hammering home a rebound off an initial shot from sophomore Kristina Taylor. With under 10 minutes to play in the half, Taylor slammed home a rebound for her 15th goal of the season after an initial shot on goal from freshman Ashley Taylor.

Exactly five minutes later, sophomore Katie Pufnock scored her fourth goal of the season by finishing an entry feed from senior Lauren Hollingsworth that gave SU a 3-0 halftime lead. Wylde rounded out the scoring in the second half by roofing a marvelous feed from Ashley Taylor.

Today's victory also marks the 350th career head coaching victory for Landes, the winningest bench boss in program history with a record of 173-51-1 through 10-plus seasons at Shippensburg. Landes remains the second among active PSAC coaches in career coaching victories and second in Division II. (15th amongst all divisions).

Shippensburg is also on pace to host the PSAC Field Hockey Championships to be held on October 30 and 31. This season, the top seed in the Western Division earns the right to host the conference semifinals and finals, and the Lady Raiders are just one divisional victory short of achieving this goal.

The defense continues to step up with outstanding production, as the team has now achieved 10 shutouts in 15 games. Shippensburg's shutout total is the highest since the 2001 season, when the Lady Raiders blanked 11 of their 20 opponents during the season. SU has outscored the opposition by a 61-10 margin and allowed multiple goals in just two games.

The Lady Raiders will conclude their homestand on Saturday afternoon with a significant matchup against No. 3 East Stroudsburg. Game time is set for 4 p.m. from Robb Sports Complex. The team will be hosting Field Hockey Breast Cancer Awareness Day and will be selling pink cookies while collecting donations toward the American Cancer Society.