NCAA Tournament Preview: Women’s Soccer Meets York College (Pa.) In Round One of NCAA Division III Women’s Soccer Championships
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (November 11, 2022) – The Western New England women's soccer team heads to Misericordia University, who will host the first and second round games of the NCAA Division III Tournament, where Western New England will take on the Spartans of York College on Saturday night. This will be the first ever contest between the two schools.
Western New England Regular Season:
The Golden Bears captured their first Commonwealth Coast Conference championship last Saturday, November 5 in a 3-0 victory over University of New England. The Golden Bears finished the season with a 13-5-2 record, recording their best season under 7th year head coach Kristin Hensinger, who was named Commonwealth Coast Conference Coach of the Year following the seasons end. WNE records their most wins in program history since a 13-9 season back in the 2010-2011 academic year. After starting out their campaign with a loss on the road, the Golden Bears ripped off three straight wins, defeating Keene State, Husson University, and Fitchburg State by a combined score of 10-2. The Golden Bears would open conference play with a 1-1 draw with Curry College, going 0-2-1 over a three-game span. From there, Western New England women's soccer would turn on the jets, winning nine of their last 11 games of the regular season heading into playoff contention. Western New England locked up the top seed in the CCC tournament after their regular season finale victory over Wentworth Institute of Technology on the final day of the regular season.
The top seeded Golden Bears would draw the eight seeded Leopards of Wentworth, playing WIT for the second straight game. Like the first meeting, WNE would have no problem getting past the Leopards, winning 3-0 at Suprenant Field to move into the CCC Semifinals. Western New England would face fourth seeded Roger Williams University in the semifinal round, who has been a kryptonite to WNE women's soccer. RWU would be one of only two CCC teams to beat the Golden Bears in the regular season and the only CCC team to beat WNE at home. The CCC semifinals would be a thriller, needing overtime and a penalty kick shootout to decide the winner. After scoring their first four goals in the shootout, RWU would need one goal to win the game, though the attempt would be stuffed by WNE goalkeeper Molly McLaughlin, giving the Golden Bears hope. After both teams exchanged goals on the next two attempts, Western New England would tally their seventh PK on the shootout, leaving the pressure on the Hawks. RWU will miss their attempt, sending Western New England to the CCC Championship game for the first time since 2018.
WNE would take care of business in the championship game, crowning themselves CCC champs for the first time since entering the conference. The Golden Bears would top the second seeded Nor'easters of University of New England 3-0 to win the championship. Western New England earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Championships with the win where they are set to take on York College (Pa.) in the tournament on Saturday, November 12 at 7:30 pm.
Western New England Leaders:
Western New England travels Allison Bruehwiler, who has been the top goal scorer for the Golden Bears in the 2022 season. Bruehwiler scored eight goals on the season while also collecting five assists, good for 21 points on the year. The graduate student recorded 49 shots, placing 32 on goal, scoring two game winning goals for the Golden Bears on the season. First year Gabby Sansone recorded the second highest point total on the season for Western New England, picking up six goals and recording two assists, good for 14 points on the season. Sansone took 43 shots for WNE, putting 18 on target, scoring two game winning goals, which included the game winner in the championship game over University of New England. Both Isabella Montalvo and Samantha Vitka came away with double digit points for the Golden Bears, picking up 12 points each on the season. WNE's back line of defense is led by Alison VanVolkenBurg, Summer Hathaway, Malina LaCapra, and Maria Butrimas, who allowed just 15 goals to their opponents in 20 games this season. All four defenders played in and started in all 20 games for Western New England on the year. Goalkeeper Molly McLaughlin, who was named to the All-CCC First Team, dotted a 0.75 GAA and .797 save percentage on the season, recording a decision and making a start in every game for the Golden Bears. McLaughlin collected eight shutouts, while playing every minute but 18:22 this season. WNE saw seven players named to the All-CCC Teams, with Summer Hathaway being named as CCC Defensive Player of the Year and All-CCC First Team. Allison Bruehwiler and Molly McLaughlin were named to the All-CCC First Team, as well. Malina LaCapra was named to the All-CCC Second Team for WNE while teammates Isabella Montalvo, Emma French, and Danielle McCarthy were named to the All-CCC Third Team.
York College (Pa.) Regular Season:
The York College Spartans come into this year's NCAA Tournament with a 12-4-4 record, being given an at-large bid into the tournament after falling in the championship game of the MAC Commonwealth Final to top seeded Messiah University by a final score of 2-0. York makes their fourth all-time NCAA appearance, with the most recent appearance coming in 2015 and are 3-3 in the tournament. The Spartans went 2-2 to start the regular season, though picked up their play quickly by winning their next three games while tying one, which includes a win over 24th ranked Rochester on home field. The Spartans picked up a stretch where they came out victorious in six games while tying three, going 6-0-3 in the nine-game span. One of those wins was highlighted on the road, defeating second ranked Messiah University by a score of 1-0 in MACC play. The Spartans came away with the second seed in their MACC tournament, earning an automatic bid to the MACC semifinals where they took down Lebanon Valley College with ease by a final score of 5-1 to move into the MACC finals. The second seeded Spartans would match with the top seeded Messiah University, whom they had beaten earlier in the season and were the only team to beat the Falcons in the regular season. York would fall in the championship game 2-0, though would earn an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament, where they meet Western New England in the first round.
York College (Pa.) Leaders:
Four Spartans dotted double digit points on the season, led by Makayla Harper, who potted eight goals on the season while picking up one assist, good for 17 points this season. Erin Snyder recorded four goals and seven assists, making all 20 starts on the season, collecting a total of 15 points on the year. Ashlynn Weger and Anna Morton also picked up double digit points for York, collecting 14 and 13, respectively. The defensive line for the Spartans is led by Sabrina McGuigan, Morgan Joyce, and Moriah Morton, who all played in and made starts in all 20 games this season. The Spartans allowed just 17 goals on the season, two more than Western New England. Senior Jacqueline Keogh is expected to tend the pipes for the Spartans after making all 20 starts on the year for York. Keogh notched a 0.76 GAA on the year while picking up an impressive .844 save percentage, recording two shutouts.
The Game:
Western New England and York will meet at Misericordia University, who will host the two-day event. The game will be played on Saturday, November 12 at 7:30 pm. To follow the live video feed, click here. To follow the live stats, click here.
