LOUISVILLE – The Shippensburg University field hockey program is hoping that the third time is the charm on Thursday afternoon, as the Lady Raiders will face conference rival Bloomsburg in the semifinals of the 2010 NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championships. It is the third straight year that the two teams will meet in the national semifinals.

This year's championships are being held in conjunction with the 2010 Division II National Championships Fall Festival, hosted by Bellarmine University and the Louisville Sports Commission. The host of the field hockey championships is the University of Louisville and all three matches will be held at Trager Stadium.

A live webcast of the tournament will be provided by the NCAA. The link can be accessed from www.ncaa.com when it becomes available. Fans are encouraged to check for the latest tournament information at the NCAA tournament home page, which is available at the link included above.

The winner of Thursday's game will face either Massachusetts-Lowell or Stonehill in the NCAA Division II National Championship match on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

Shippensburg (20-1), the No. 1 seed in the South Region by virtue of its unblemished regular season record, has lost four previous meetings to Bloomsburg in the PSAC Tournament. Last year, SU dropped a 4-2 decision from Stonehill. In 2008, the two teams went to overtime before the Huskies earned a 3-2 victory on their home turf.

Overall, the two teams have met four times in the NCAA Tournament: 2003, 2005, 2008 and 2009.

The Lady Raiders enter with extra motivation after dropping a 2-1 decision to East Stroudsburg in the semifinals of the PSAC Tournament. It was the first loss of the season for Shippensburg and the only game this year that the team has been held to one goal.

Shippensburg boasts the No. 2 scoring average in Division II behind Massachusetts-Lowell, the No. 1 seed from the North Region. SU is averaging 4.4 goals per game and leads the nation with an average of 12.6 penalty corners per game. Overall, the Lady Raiders have outscored the opposition this year by a 93-19 margin.

Matching the proficiency of the offense has been the defense and its knack for shutting down the opposition. SU ranks No. 2 in goals-against average this season, allowing less than one goal per contest. The Lady Raiders have recorded eight shutouts in 2010 and allowed multiple goals in just four of its 21 games this season.

Shippensburg faced Bloomsburg once during the 2010 regular season. The Lady Raiders scored twice in the second half to achieve a 3-1 victory from Robb Sports Complex back on September 25.

Shippensburg's regular season was its best in school history. It is just the second undefeated regular season in school history – the 1977 squad posted an 11-0-2 season record.

The program has tied a school record for victories in one season (20), sharing the honor with the 2005 and 2009 squads. SU's 20-game winning streak also stands as a new school record.

Head coach Bertie Landes is one victory short of reaching No. 200 in her career at Shippensburg, having posted a record of 199-55-1 through 11-plus seasons at the helm of the Lady Raiders. Overall, including her service at Philadelphia Biblical, coach Landes has compiled a record of 383-111-17, which equates to a winning percentage of .768.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Junior Kristina Taylor was named the PSAC Western Division Player of the Year – marking the second straight year that she was honored. She has scored 19 goals this season – second-most in the PSAC – while tying C.W. Post's Amanda Nann for fourth place in the PSAC with 40 total points.

Kristina Taylor has scored five game-winning goals this season and is one of eight players to start all 21 of the team's games. She ranks sixth in Division II for goals per game. Taylor enters this weekend tied with Natalie Grazan '06 for third all-time among SU players with 57 career goals.

Freshman Bre White was named the PSAC Western Division Rookie of the Year. She leads the team in scoring with 16 goals and 10 assists, including four game-winning goals. White has started 19 games this year and has contributed at least one point in 16 of the team's 21 matches. The freshman ranks among the top five players in the PSAC for goals, assists and points and ranks eighth in Division II for points per game.

Sophomore Ashley Taylor – the 2009 PSAC West Rookie of the Year - earned her second-straight selection to the All-PSAC West First Team. She has scored 10 goals and posted a team-high 12 assists – bringing her two-year total to 16 goals and 19 assists. Taylor is an integral back line player who takes full advantage of her offensive chances during penalty corners.

Senior Emily Fulton - an All-PSAC First Team back - is the senior cornerstone of a defensive group that has allowed just 19 goals this season. She has started all 21 games this year and made two defensive saves. Over the course of her career, Fulton has appeared in 61 games, made 44 starts and recorded eight defensive saves.

Sophomore Taylor Jones - an All-PSAC First Teamer - stepped into the position of the team's primary midfielder during last year's playoffs and has aced her role since earning a starting spot. In 21 starts this season, Jones has performed well offensively with eight goals and four assists. She has also recorded one defensive save and has solidified the back lines.

Sophomore Ciarra Delost - an All-PSAC First Team pick as well - is in her first season as the team's starting goalkeeper – posting a 0.81 goals-against average that ranks second in Division II. Her .788 save percentage is seventh-best in Division II. She has started every contest and has recorded four solo shutouts this season.

Junior Katie Pufnock is an All-PSAC Second Team selection that has dazzled up top this season, scoring 12 goals and five assists to rank fourth on the team in points. She is tied with Kristina Taylor for the team lead in game-winning goals, having scored five. Over the last six games of the regular season, Pufnock scored six goals and tallied four assists.

Freshman Katie Shoop is an All-PSAC Second Team selection and one of two SU freshmen honored along with White. Shoop has also started all 21 games and is valuable as a midfielder and a defender for the Lady Raiders. She has also chipped in offensively – scoring one goal and totaling five assists.

Senior Amanda Strous is also among the team's leading scorers this season, having notched 11 goals and five assists this season. Strous has tallied 24 career goals and 13 career assists and joins Fulton and Kristen Brooks as players who are veterans of the previous two matchups with the Huskies.