Box Score

LOWELL, Mass. – The No. 2-ranked Shippensburg University field hockey team suffered a heartbreaking loss at the hands of No. 1 West Chester in the first of two NCAA semifinal games on Friday afternoon, as the Golden Rams scored the game-winner with just over a minute left to end the Raiders' season, 3-2, from Cushing Field at UMass Lowell.

For the second season in a row, Shippensburg (17-3) has seen its season end in the NCAA playoffs to West Chester (19-2), which will seek its second consecutive national championship on Sunday afternoon.

The Raiders jumped out to an early lead just over five minutes into the contest when senior Emily Kohlbus received a pass from junior Lauren Taylor and sent the shot into the cage past the diving WCU goalkeeper for her seventh goal of the season.

Junior Katie Shoop single-handedly stopped a tying goal two minutes later with one of SU's three defensive saves of the game - senior Kayla Harshman had the other two – when she lifted her stick high in the air in front of the cage to stop an elevated West Chester shot.

The Golden Rams tied it up three minutes later, however, when Kelsi Lykens fired a shot into the circle that was redirected by Alexis Versak. West Chester grabbed a 2-1 lead at the 23-minute mark when Michele Schrift scored her 24th goal of the season off an assist from Carley Buckwalter.

The game remained 2-1 for the remainder of the first half and for the majority of the second half as the intensity grew with both teams combining for six cards in the final 30 minutes.

Shippensburg had several scoring chances throughout the period but failed to connect until it finally caged the tying goal with just under eight minutes left in regulation. Senior Jamie Levy sent in a cross from the right baseline that junior Bre White redirected past the WCU goalkeeper to junior Megan Jett, who sent in her third goal of the season past the diving keeper.

Kayla Gluchowski netted the game-winner for the Golden Rams with 1:22 on the game clock when she collected a pass from Kelsey Cheek and made a move near the top of the circle before firing home the goal.

The loss marked the final collegiate contest for SU's seven seniors: Amanda Burridge, Delost, Harshman, Taylor Jones, Kohlbus, Sam Langone and Levy (view career stats as .pdf file). The group of outstanding Raiders combined for 493 career games, 66 goals, 53 assists, 15 defensive saves, 12 game-winning goals, nine All-PSAC designations, three NFHCA All-America awards and a 75-12 record over the course of four years.