Defending champion Westfield State College has earned the top seed in the 2009 Massachusetts
State College Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Women’s Soccer Championships, which begin with semi-final round play on Wednesday, November 4th and conclude with the 2009 MASCAC Championship match on Saturday, November 7th.
Westfield State will host fourth-seeded Bridgewater State College in a re-match of last year’s title contest in one semi-final round match on Wednesday evening at Alumni Field in Westfield, Mass. beginning at 7:00 p.m.(The Westfield-Bridgewater women's soccer game will be videostreamed live on the internet at:
www.mascac.tv), while second-seeded Worcester State College will host third-seeded Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in the other semi-final contest on Wednesday evening beginning at 7:00 p.m.
The two semi-final winners will meet for the 2009 MASCAC Championship and an automatic berth in the NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championships on Saturday at the site of the highest remaining seed at a time to be determined.
Head Coach Todd Ditmar’s Owls captured their second straight MASCAC regular season crown with an overall mark of 14-1- 2, including a 6-0-1 slate in conference play, and are led in scoring by senior Meg Gearin (Groton, Mass.), who has notched 17 goals and three assists for 37 points to date. Sophomore Jessica Pieciak (Three Rivers, Mass.) has recorded all 17 decisions in goal for Westfield State this season, notching five shutouts to go with an 0.51 goals against average.
Worcester State also posted an unbeaten mark in conference play this fall under Head Coach Kevin Cumberbatch, as the Lancers were 9-5-3 overall and 4-0-3 in MASCAC play. Sophomore Danielle Clifford (Attleboro, Mass.) leads Worcester State in scoring with nine goals and seven assists for 25 points, while junior Rachael Armenti (West Boylston, Mass.) has posted seven victories, including six shutouts, and an 0.86 goals against average to date.
MCLA has enjoyed a solid season under Head Coach Deb Raber, as the Trailblazers sport a 13-4 regular season slate that included a 5-2 mark in MASCAC action this fall. Junior Jess Tietgens (Stamford, Vt.) leads MCLA in scoring with 22 goals and four assists for 48 points in 17 contests, while sophomore Jen Wehner (Cooperstown, N.Y.) has recorded 11 victories with six shutouts and an 0.83 goals against average.
Bridgewater State rounds out the 2009 championship field, as the Bears of Head Coach Andrea Zeigler-O’Connor notched an 8-7-2 regular season slate, including a 3-3-1 mark in MASCAC play. Seniors Jacklyn Wisocky (Brockton, Mass.) and Ashley Hersey (Newburyport, Mass.) lead Bridgewater State in scoring with 16 points each, while junior Kayla Grover (Haverhill, Mass.) has seven wins and four shutouts in net to date.
Westfield State captured the 2008 MASCAC tournament title with a 3-0 victory over Bridgewater State in the championship match.
2009 Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference Women’s Soccer Championships
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH – SEMI-FINALS
Game #1: #4 Bridgewater State (8-7-2, 3-3-1) at #1 Westfield State (14-1-2, 6-0-1) 7:00 pm
Game #2: #3 MCLA (13-4, 5-2) at #2 Worcester State (9-5-3, 4-0-3) 7:00 pm
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH – CHAMPIONSHIP (AT HIGHEST REMAINING SEED)
Semi-Final Winners TBA