Field Hockey | 11/20/2018 12:39:00 PM

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The Shippensburg University field hockey team will host Northeast-10 (NE10) opponent Merrimack on Sunday at 1 p.m. in an NCAA Division II Quarterfinal matchup from Robb Sports Complex. The winner will advance to the NCAA Division II Field Hockey Semifinals next week in Pittsburgh.
 
Shippensburg is the No. 3 seed in the Atlantic Region and the No. 4 overall seed in the 2018 NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championships. Merrimack, the NE10 Champions, are the No. 2 seed in the East region and the No. 5 overall seed.
 
SU is in the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year and the 14th time in school history. SU is 11-10 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. The Raiders are seeking their 10th NCAA Semifinals appearance (2003, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017).
 
The Warriors are making their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in school history and have reached the semifinals in all four of their previous trips (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015). Sunday marks MC's first NCAA Tournament game since appearing in the 2015 Championship game against East Stroudsburg.  
 
In the final edition of the 2018 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) rankings released Tuesday, both Shippensburg and Merrimack tied for No. 3 in the national poll.
 
Sunday's game is the first-ever meeting between the two teams in history.
 
About the Matchup:
 
Shippensburg (16-4) has won six consecutive NCAA Tournament matches, having claimed back-to-back National Championships over the last two seasons. The Raiders are hosting a NCAA Quarterfinal for the second straight year; SU defeated Stonehill last season, 6-1 – a margin of victory tied for the largest in NCAA Division II Tournament history.
 
Pacing the Raider offense is sophomore Jazmin Petrantonio, the 2018 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Athlete of the Year and the reigning NFHCA Atlantic Region Player of the Year. Her 1.15 goals-per-game average and 2.55 points-per game average each rank fourth in the nation.
 
Last year, Petrantonio tied records for the most goals (4) and points (9) by a single player in an NCAA Tournament. She enters this postseason with 23 goals and five assists on her 2018 ledger. The 23 goals are the most by a Raider in a single season since Kristina Taylor had the same amount in 2011.   
 
SU's defense is anchored by senior captain goalkeeper Ally Mooney and All-PSAC First Team junior defender Mikayla Cheney. Mooney finished with seven or more saves in all three of SU's PSAC Tournament games.
 
Merrimack (18-3) set a single-season school record for victories after claiming its first-ever NE-10 Championship with a 2-1 victory over Saint Anselm on Sunday. Mary McNeil scored on an untimed penalty corner at the end of regulation to deliver the victory for the Warriors.
 
The Warrior defense is led by the NE10 Defender of the Year, senior Delaney Yule, and the NE10 Goalkeeper of the Year, junior Katharina Ohmen. Yule is Merrimack's center back yet has also been clutch offensively with six goals – including four game-winners. Ohmen has an .806 save percentage, which ranks third nationally, to go along with a 1.30 goals-against average (GAA) and four solo shutouts.
 
McNeil's conference-winning goal was the latest achievement in a banner senior season that includes All-NE10 First Team honors. Her 15 assists rank second in the country, while her 2.33 points-per-game average ranks 10th. She is the first player in Merrimack history to produce both 40 career goals and 40 career assists.
  
Around the Nation:
 
In the other NCAA Quarterfinal being held Sunday, Pace (No. 1 in East, No. 3 overall seed) will host Saint Anselm (No. 3 in East, No. 6 overall seed) at noon.
 
West Chester (No. 1 in Atlantic, No. 1 overall seed) and East Stroudsburg (No. 2 in Atlantic, No. 2 overall seed) earned byes into the NCAA Semifinals by virtue of their top seeds.
 
The winner of the Shippensburg-Merrimack matchup will face West Chester at 2 p.m. on Thursday, November 29. Meanwhile, the winner of the Pace-Saint Anselm matchup will face East Stroudsburg at 5 p.m. on Thursday, November 29. Both games will be held at Arthur J. Rooney Field on the campus of Duquesne University.