MILLERSVILLE VS. SHIPPENSBURG
	#2 (1-seed) Millersville Marauders Record: 17-4 (7-3) Last Game: 2-1 W vs. Shippensburg Coach: Shelly Behrens, 9th season (120-63) Roster | Schedule | Statistics
	#1 (2-seed) Shippensburg Raiders Record: 18-3 (9-1) Last Game: 2-1 W vs. East Stroudsburg Coach: Bertle Landes, 18th season (300-77-1) Roster | Schedule | Statistics
	Game Information Date: Nov. 18, 2016 | Start Time: 2 p.m. Location: Easton, Mass. | W.B. Mason Stadium Tournament Website | Tournament Bracket Watch Live Series Record: Ship leads, 46-33-8 Streak: Millersville, 1 First Meeting: 1945 (Ville 5 Ship 0) Last Meeting: 2016 (Ville 2 Ship 1)

A LOOK AT THE MARAUDERS
• It's been a whirlwind season for the Millersville field hockey team. The Marauders started off the season going 1-1 with an early loss to Stonehill but quickly rebounded and rattled off eight wins in a row, including a victory over No. 4 Kutztown. A tough stretch followed, as the Marauders were downed twice in three games by NCAA Tournament-bound-teams East Stroudsburg and Shippensburg. Millersville was not done with these teams just yet, though. The Marauders finished up the regular season taking four of the last five, with their only loss in that stretch coming to West Chester. Millersville entered the conference tournament seeded fourth in the bracket with a possibility to make the NCAA Tournament. They didn't just earn their spot in the tournament; they earned the top seed in the region. The Marauders took down No. 8 Bloomsburg, No. 1 East Stroudsburg and No. 2 Shippensburg to win their first PSAC Championship since 2013 (fourth all-time) and clinch a one-seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever.
• The Marauders are hitting their stride at the right time. They have won seven out of the last eight and even more impressively have won four in a row including three wins over ranked opponents. Margaret Thorwart has been a huge component in this run, scoring three goals in three games in the PSAC Tournament, including the game-winner against Ship in the championship. After scoring four goals in the regular season, Thorwart's three tournament goals were crucial for Millersville. She was rewarded with PSAC Tournament MVP. In addition to Thorwart, Aliza Mizak has been a catalyst for the Marauder team. Mizak has scored eight goals this season is in the top 10 in the PSAC in goals. Thorwart and Mizak were both named All-PSAC First Team. Mizak is the first Marauder in program history to be a first team selection in each of her first two seasons.
• On the defensive side, the Marauders are even more impressive. Backed by goalie Samantha Rumler, who has the second best goals against average in the country, Millersville is one of the toughest teams to score on in the country, allowing just 0.62 goals per game with 10 shutouts. In the last four games, the Marauders have only allowed one goal despite playing three ranked teams. In the games against ESU and Ship, which were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 at the time, Millersville allowed merely two shots on goal combined. 

ABOUT THE SERIES
• There are some standout rivalries in the PSAC. There isn't necessarily bad blood, but there doesn't have to be. In PSAC field hockey, the biggest rivalries come from pure competition, and that is exactly the case with the Raiders and the Marauders. In 2016 alone, the series has been intense. Shippensburg handed Millersville one of its four losses, winning 1-0 in early October on a Brooke Zeiders goal in the final minute of regulation. In the next game, Millersville evened up the season series score. In a thrilling PSAC title game, Millersville upset Ship 2-1 in a comeback championship win. The overall series score still belongs to Shippensburg, 46-33-8. Millersville has won four of the last five match-ups.

THE LAST MATCH-UP
• Millersville, after earning a first round bye in the NCAA Tournament, have not played a game since their win over Shippensburg in the PSAC Championship. The Marauders now sit atop the tournament bracket due in large part to their PSAC run. It wasn't easy, though, as it took a 2-1 comeback for Millersville to take the PSAC title. In the second half, Millersville's attack was relentless. With only 7:13 left to play, Thorwart scored the game-winning goal on a penalty stroke. Taylor Parker was tripped by the Ship goalkeeper to draw the penalty stroke. Thorwart's goal was preceded by Arianna Grays, who tied it up at one with only 20 minutes remaining. Millersville put six shots on goal in the game; Shippensburg had only one. That came on a Zeiders goal in the first half.

NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
• Millersville has now qualified for the NCAA Tournament in four consecutive seasons--the longest such stretch in program history. The semifinal match-up on Friday is not the first NCAA Tournament game between Ship and the Ville. In 2014, the Marauders beat Ship in the NCAA quarterfinals, later winning the national championship. Nearly the exact opposite occurred in 2013, when Ship beat Millersville in the NCAA semifinals. Ship went on to win the championship in 2013.

BREAKING DOWN THE MATCH-UP
• Expect a defensive showdown in Easton, Mass. Rumler has the second best goals against average in the nation. Only Ship's goaltender, Ally Mooney, has a better GAA. Rumler has allowed 0.57, whereas Mooney has only given up an average of 0.39 per game. The two teams have each played 21 games, Millersville has given up 13 goals, Ship has given up 10. Rumler's career GAA is tracking toward a program record, which would unseat Lauren Sotzin--the goalkeeper the last time Millersville won the national championship. Rumler's current career GAA ranks second in NCAA Division II history.
• Millersville will need to be extra-diligent defending Brooke Zeiders on Friday. Millersville is well-aware of how much of a threat she is. She scored both of Shippensburg's goals in the two games against Millersville. Although Zeiders has had success against the Marauders, she is not the leading scorer for the Raiders. Katelyn Grazan leads the team with 10 goals on the season, ranking her sixth in the conference.
• Along with Mizak (8) and Thorwart (7), Olivia Hershey and freshman Erica Tarsi have been key players when Millersville needs a goal. Mizak and Thorwart lead the team with four game-winners but Hershey and Tarsi have three apiece. Hershey also has two assists in the postseason.
• The Millersville eight-member senior class knows nothing but play in the postseason. It is the first class in Millersville history to qualify for four NCAA Tournaments. The group has put together a remarkable 74-13 record (the best four-year stretch in program history) and has been a part of two of the program's four PSAC Championships (2013, 2016) and the only national championship (2014). Of Millersville's six All-PSAC selections, four were seniors: Rumler, Parker, Thorwart and Hershey. Hershey, Parker and Mizak were all voted All-America in 2014. Mizak (2015) and Grays (2013) are both former Synapse Sports Division II Freshmen of the Year.