MANSFIELD, PA – West Chester scored a pair of second-half goals to pick up an critical win in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) field hockey standings heading into the final week of the regular season Saturday.
 
West Chester (9-6, 4-4 PSAC) ended a three-game skid with its second-half effort and kept its slim postseason hopes alive in the process. Mansfield (9-6, 3-4) has one game in hand in the conference standings, but is also fighting for its postseason lives heading into the final week.
 
Mackenzie Reese (Center Valley, Pa./Southern Lehigh) converted a penalty stroke in the third quarter to break a 1-all tie and give the Golden Rams the lead for good. Caitlin Szarko (Eldersburg, Md./Liberty) later slammed home a loose ball in front for an insurance tally in the fourth. Reese's penalty stroke opportunity was set up when West Chester's Jasmine Miller (Millersville, Pa./Penn Manor) broke in all alone on Mansfield keeper and was fouled.  
 
Mansfield's Blaise Cugini put the hosts on top 1-0 in the 12th minute. However, West Chester's Adriana Palumbo (West Deptford, N.J./West Deptford) knotted things up 10 minutes later in the second quarter. That is how things stood until Miller created the scoring opportunity in the third.
 
Alina Burger (Konigs Wuerstenhausen, Brandenburg, Germany) made two saves in the second half to pick up the win in the cage for West Chester. Emerie Loftis (Glen Allen, Va./Trinity Episcopal) started the game and made one save and allowed one goal. Mansfield's August Lewis made seven saves for the Mounties in a losing effort.
 
West Chester will host East Stroudsburg next Tuesday afternoon at Vonnie Gros Field at 4 p.m. in the final home game and final conference match of the regular season.