Video to come.

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – The No. 2 Shippensburg University field hockey team made the most of its scoring chances on Friday afternoon and used a strong first half to outlast No. 7 West Chester, 2-1, in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Semifinal held at Whitenight Field.
 
Shippensburg (17-2) scored a pair of goals in a 12-minute span of the first half to lead at the intermission, 2-0. Both teams had just five shots each to their credit at halftime, as SU had yielded just three penalty corners and two shots on goal to the vaunted Golden Ram offense.
 
Junior Emily Barnard opened the scoring when she slammed home a loose ball in the box at the 14-minute mark. Senior Cassie Rawa later snuck behind a defender to take a pass from senior Katelyn Grazan and converted to give the Raiders a pivotal 2-0 advantage.
 
West Chester (13-7), ranked fourth in the Atlantic Region rankings, ramped up the intensity in the second half as it played to preserve its postseason life. WCU fired eight shots on goal and worked five corners but only managed one second-half tally that came with less than six minutes remaining when PSAC Player of the Year Rachal Toppi made her way to a rebound in the box.
 
The late goal set the stage for the nerve-wracking final minutes, in which West Chester worked a corner with 2:55 to play. The opportunity was neutralized, however, and Shippensburg was able to possess the ball in the West Chester zone for much of the final 90 seconds.
 
"The key was for us to stay composed, especially with our passing," head coach Bertie Landes said. "We lost a little bit of momentum at the end, and West Chester is so dynamic offensively, so you really have to play tough defense."
 
Another key to the victory was the play of redshirt-sophomore goalkeeper Ally Mooney, who was stellar once again as she has been all season long. Mooney tied her season high with eight saves, making multiple stops on corners, and turning away Golden Ram scoring chances.
 
West Chester entered Friday having won eight straight games since an Oct. 4 loss at Robb Sports Complex, out-scoring its opponents 30-7 in that span. The Raiders have now won multiple meetings with the Golden Rams in the same season for the first time since 2013, outscoring WCU 5-2 in two 2016 contests.
 
Shippensburg allowed just its seventh goal of the season (fifth in regulation) on Friday and maintained its excellent defensive approach, using strong passing and good stick work to stave off numerous Golden Ram rushes.
 
Shippensburg advances to play in the PSAC Championship game at 1 p.m. Sunday, when the Raiders will take on Millersville at Whitenight Field. The Marauders defeated East Stroudsburg, 1-0, in Friday's other semifinal.