Tournament Central
WEST CHESTER, Pa.- After a pair of victories in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament two weeks ago and a bit of well-deserved time away for Thanksgiving, the third-seeded West Chester University women's soccer team (16-3-3) is finishing its preparations for the Atlantic Region Championship game opposite fourth-seed Gannon (17-4-2) on Friday afternoon beginning at 1 p.m.

West Chester and Gannon will meet for the second time this season and the third time in the last two years, with all three meetings coming in Championship games, as the previous two meetings have been in the PSAC Championship game each of the last two years. The Golden Rams and Golden Knights will meet in the second game of a doubleheader on Rockwell Field on Friday afternoon, with the first game of the day being the East Region Final between The College of St. Rose and Adelphi, with kickoff set for 10 a.m.

FAN INFORMATION

Parking: Fans must park in Lot Q, located directly across the street from Rockwell Field, throughout the weekend.

Tickets: Unlike the PSAC Tournament, ticket sales for the NCAA Tournament will be cash only and must be purchased on-site. Ticket prices are $10 for adults, $5 for students/seniors, $2 for children 2-12, and free for children under two. No complimentary tickets will be available for the NCAA Tournament. WCU Athletics is also pleased to announce that it will pay for the tickets for WCU students in attendance with valid, current ID throughout the weekend.

SERIES INFORMATION

West Chester and Gannon lack significant history with one another, having met 15 times over the years, with West Chester holding a 12-3-1 lead in the all-time series against the Golden Knights. West Chester has won five of the last six against Gannon, including a 2-1 victory over the Golden Knights in the PSAC Championship game on November 12.

HOW THEY GOT HERE

West Chester returns to the Regional Final after a pair of 1-0 victories over Frostburg State and Kutztown two weeks ago. In the opening round of the Tournament, West Chester applied heavy pressure to Frostburg State early, jumping out to a 1-0 lead just 17 minutes into the match when Faith Matter (Middletown, Pa./Middletown) forced a turnover and quickly turned it into a goal. From this point, West Chester was forced to hold on as Frostburg State upped its pressure, but Grace Keen (Lincoln University, Pa./Avon Grove), who made six saves, and her defense were up to the task of holding for the shutout victory. In the second round against host Kutztown, West Chester battled throughout the afternoon and found the goal it was looking for with its lone shot on goal of the afternoon, following a corner as Alyson Cutter (Warrington, Pa./C.B. South) buried the winner midway through the second half. Keen was sharp once again, making four saves, while her defense was also outstanding in front of her, clearing the ball out well throughout the afternoon to help the freshman keeper improve to 2-0 with two shutouts in her NCAA Tournament career.

Gannon advanced to the Regional Final for the first time in program history after a pair of victories over rival Mercyhurst in the First Round and top-seed Charleston (W.V.) in the second round back on November 19. The Golden Knights started their NCAA Tournament run with a 1-0 victory over Mercyhurst, defeating the Lakers behind a 76th-minute goal from Madeline Endler for her first tally of the season. In between the pipes, Morgan Sinan was sharp, making four saves to slow the Laker offense throughout the afternoon. On Sunday against Charleston, Logan Nicklas gave the Golden Knights an early 1-0 lead just over five minutes into the contest before doubling its lead in the 58^th minute with a goal by Brookyln Respecki. This two-goal lead proved crucial as the Golden Eagles answered back in the 60th minute, but this was as close as the hosts would get after Nicklas scored her second of the day in the 75th to lift Gannon to the 3-1 victory. Sinan again played well in the victory, making five saves to limit the Charleston offense, sending the Golden Knights through to the Regional Championship for the first time in program history.

FLOCK TALK

When the Golden Rams take the field on Friday afternoon, West Chester will play for a Regional Crown for the sixth time in the last seven years, searching for its seventh crown under the tutelage of head coach Betty Ann Kempf Townsley. All told, West Chester has won seven Atlantic Regional Championships, including a 2006 victory, which also saw West Chester advance to the National Semifinals for the first time in program history. If West Chester can capture its eighth Championship and seventh under Kempf Townsley, the Golden Rams would also become the first team since Bloomsburg in 2018 and 2019 to repeat as Atlantic Regional Champions, following up on its title from a year ago.

In the NCAA Tournament a year ago, West Chester went on an impressive run to the National Championship game, defeating West Virginia State by a 1-0 final in the Second Round of the Tournament, Kutztown in the Atlantic Regional Championship game by a 1-0 final, Franklin Pierce in the National Quarterfinals by a 2-1 final in overtime, and Ferris State by a 2-1 final in the National Semifinals.

The depth of the Golden Rams has been on full display this season, continually mixing and matching players to overcome adversity throughout the 2023 campaign. Matter, the 2023 PSAC East Player of the Year, has been the Golden Rams leading scorer throughout the year, scoring 11 goals, including five game-winners, and adding 11 assists for 33 points. With this effort, Matter enters play on Friday in a three-way tie for eighth in career points with 58, matching the career totals of Kara Parvel and Amy Tucker just two years into her Golden Ram career. The sensational sophomore has been far from the Golden Ram's only offensive option this year as nine different players have scored this season, with Alyson Cutter (Warrington, Pa./C.B. South) ranking second with eight goals, while Kaitlynn Haughey (Philadelphia, Pa./Penn Charter) and Jacqueline Hug (West Chester, Pa./Unionville) are close behind with five and four goals, respectively. In the last two years, Cutter has found another gear in Tournament play, scoring four postseason game-winners, including the winner in the National Quarterfinals vs Franklin Pierce a year ago.

In goal, Keen has been outstanding in her rookie campaign, playing to a record of 16-3-3 in goal with a 0.73 goals-against average and 12 shutouts on the year, which ranks third in single-season program history.

GET TO KNOW GANNON

Appearing in its first Regional Championship game in program history, Gannon has enjoyed a tremendous 2023 season, entering play with a record of 17-4-2, outscoring its foes by a 65-30 margin on the season. Averaging 2.83 goals per game as a team, PSAC West Rookie of the Year and the Division II Conference Commissioners Association Atlantic Region Player of the Year, Brooklyn Respecki has been a significant part of this attack, leading the team in scoring with 13 goals and 15 assists for 41 points. Grace Emanuel and Nicklas are second and third on the team in goals, entering play with 13 and eight, respectively. At the same time, Gabby Boden is third in points, trailing only Respecki and Emanuel in points with 20, scoring five goals and adding ten assists on the year.

Morgan Sinan, whom West Chester faced off against just a few weeks ago, enters play with a record of 16-2-2 and a 0.97 goals-against average with six solo shutouts.

WITH A WIN

The winner of Friday's Atlantic Region Championship game will add some additional hardware to its trophy case, hoisting the Regional Championship trophy, while also advancing to the National Quarterfinals on Sunday afternoon against the winner of the St. Rose/Adelphi matchup on Friday morning. Gannon is searching for its first Regional Championship, while West Chester is in search of its second in as many years and seventh under the tutelage of head coach Betty Ann Kempf Townsley. If West Chester can accomplish this feat, the Golden Rams would become the first back-to-back Atlantic Region Champions since Bloomsburg did so in the 2018 and 2019 seasons.