Bloomsburg Field Hockey Looks to Defend Title

BLOOMSBURG- The Bloomsburg University field hockey team will look to defend its NCAA title, as it competes in the NCAA final four in Lowell, MA this weekend. The Huskies, along with Indiana (PA), Bentley College and UMass- Lowell have all advanced to the semi-finals. Bloomsburg will play Indiana (PA) on Friday at 4 p.m. and UMass- Lowell will take on Bentley at 7 p.m. The winners will meet Sunday for the national title.

Bloomsburg, who defeated Kutztown University on Saturday 2-0 to advance into the final four, has a record of 19-4. This season the Huskies have outscored their opponents 123-29, averaged 5.22 goals per game and posted 10shutouts. Four players have scored in double digits this season including junior Jamie Vanartsdalen (Huntingdon Valley/Lower Moreland) who leads the team in goals and assists.

With a career high 32 goals and 18 assists Vanartsdalen, has had a record-breaking scoring season. Her 82 points (32 goals, 18 assists) scored on the year is both an NCAA Division II and school record for a season. She also became Bloomsburg's career point's leader with 188 points scored, passing the previous mark of 174. She also owns PSAC single-season record in points and goal, while tying for first in assists.

Senior Ashley Heckard (Millerstown /Greenwood) has had a personal best, this season. She has scored a career-high 24 goals. With 54 career goals and 139 career point total Heckard is third on the school's history list. Heckard, along with Vanartsdalen, Chelsea Due (Pen Argyl /Pen Argyl), and Whitney Miller (Lancaster /Penn Manor) were all selected for the PSAC All -Conference first team.

Rounding out the Huskies offense is Junior Samantha Kropa (Tunkhannock/Lackawanna Trail) who has 13 goals and six assist this season. Kropa has 48 career goals and is tied for sixth best all-time in school history. Kropa was named to the PSAC All- Conference second team along with Kelsey Kress (Littlestown /Littlestown) and Brianna Wolf (Perkasie /Pennridge). Wolf was also selected as Rookie of the Year; she had 16 goals this season including two game winning goals.

The semi-final game will be a challenging one for the Huskies, who have lost all three of their games they have faced against IUP this season. Including the PSAC finals, where the Huskies fell 4-3 in overtime. However, Bloomsburg is 47-10 in NCAA competition and the Huskies have not been scored on in their last three NCAA playoff games dating back from last year.

IUP goes into the final four with a record of 17-3. The Crimson Hawks have scored 53 goals this season and allowed only 15 goals against them. IUP averages 2.58 goals per game and has posted 11 shutouts this season. Last season, the Hawks made it to the NCAA quarterfinals before falling to Bloomsburg 2-1 (OT).

IUP is lead by senior Liz Martini who has 16 goals this season, five of which were scored against Bloomsburg. Martini has 41 career goals, 27 assists and 109 points, and has lead IUP in goals scored the past two seasons.

UMass- Lowell is 18-2 and on a 10-game winning streak. The River Hawks average 3.67 goals a game and have held their opponents to only 24 goals this season.

UMass- Lowell is lead by Jaci Moulton who has 17 goals and two assist. Also leading the River Hawks is freshman Katie Enaire, who has scored 12 goals this season.

Bentley College, which made it to the finals last year, only to loss to Bloomsburg 1-0, comes into the semi- finals with a 14-6 record. The Falcons have scored 37 goals this season and have held their opponents to 23 and average 1.75 goals per game.

The Falcons are led by sophomore goalie Ashley Slinely, who was named the Northeast -10 conference goalie of the year. Slinely has a goals against average of 1.09 and a save percentage of .851. She has posted 11 shutouts this season, which is tied for first nationally in Division II.

The NCAA- Division II Championship game will be on Sunday November 11th at 1 p.m.