Friday, the nationwide semifinals of NCAA Division II and II will happen within the southern U.S. — Division II in Gaffney, S.C., and Division III in Lexington, Va.
The D-2 nationwide semifinals can have a heavy Pennsylvania taste, as three PSAC groups — Shippensburg, Kutztown, and East Stroudsburg — are within the Ultimate 4.
However there’s a fairly good story in the case of the final of the 4 groups, St. Anselm School from Manchester, N.H. Within the quarterfinal match between St. Anselm and Assumption School, Assumption took a 2-0 lead shortly after the interval, however St. Anselm turned up the wick thereafter.
Within the second half, St. Anselm outshot Assumption 20-4. Two of these goalshots, by Amanda Lewandowski and Millie Forster, discovered the web, sending the match to further time. It took till the 73rd minute when Millie Forster, a junior from England, scored off an help from Laurentien van den Akker, a sophomore from The Netherlands.
St. Anselm has a feel-good story inside its teaching ranks. Listed as a volunteer assistant coach for St. Anselm is Cheryl Murtagh, who has been an important servant of the sport throughout her profession, mainly for her 30 years as the pinnacle coach at Northeastern College.
Now, in Division II, you even have a state of affairs the place three groups from the identical convention are within the final 4. The bracket has Tufts, Williams, and six-time defending champion Middlebury. Middlebury is an enormous story right here, as a result of the Panthers have had the goal on its again all season lengthy, and have suffered two defeats this season, to Tufts and Bates School.
Like within the Division III match, there’s a fairly good story in the case of the final of the 4 groups, Salisbury. Salisbury is ending off its closing season within the
The Gulls are the No. 1 seed within the match, and have been coached by Dr. Daybreak Chamberlin for 38 seasons. Apparently, Salisbury’s subject hockey program is ending off its closing season within the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Convention after three a long time of membership. Subsequent yr, in one more geography-bending little bit of convention realignment, Salisbury can be becoming a member of the State College of New York Athletic Convention as an affiliate member in subject hockey.
One acknowledged motive is the truth that the C2C solely has three subject hockey groups as present members: Salisbury, Mary Washington, and Christopher Newport. A variety of earlier subject hockey groups taking part in within the convention, akin to Hood, York, Stevenson, Catholic and Goucher have moved on to different conferences or, within the case of Wesley, closed altogether.
Salibury’s transfer to the SUNYAC will permit it to compete for an NCAA computerized bid, because it joins Morrrisville, Cortland, New Paltz, Oneonta and Oswego.
Ought to some nice competitors.
