MILLERSVILLE, Pa. – Millersville field hockey is headed to the PSAC Semifinals for the ninth season in a row after dispatching No. 5 seed Indiana (Pa.) 3-0 with an overwhelming offensive effort that included goals from
Qhayiya Nogoduka,
Keaghan Keracher and
Bri Harsh.
Millersville (15-3) out-shot the visiting Crimson Hawks 19-2 with both of IUP's shots coming in the second quarter. After a scoreless first 15 minutes, Millersville scored in each of the next three quarters to pull away.
Brynne Ehrlacher assisted on Millersville's first and third goals, and
Hannah Brown picked up an assist as well.
The Marauders' win boosted them to 4-0 all-time in PSAC Tournament quarterfinal games and push them on to Shippensburg where they will take on the top-seeded and undefeated Raiders Friday in the PSAC Semifinals.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• A balanced offensive attack continued to be a hallmark for the 2021 Marauders as Nogoduka scored her fifth, Keracher scored her sixth, and Harsh added to her team-leading tally of 14 goals. Ehrlacher's two assists boosted her season total to four and were her first assists since games one and two of the season.
• Millersville had some trouble connecting on the attack early, earning three first-quarter corners but managing just one shot on goal. Six minutes into the second quarter, Ehrlacher sparked the Millersville offense with a pair of quality shots--one that was saved and another that narrowly missed wide. From there, the Marauders put constant stress on the IUP defense, drawing three penalty corners in a two-minute span. The breakthrough came with 4:23 left in the half when Ehrlacher took a shot from the left side. Nogoduka, who had started the corner, position herself at the post and tipped Ehrlacher's shot past the keeper for a 1-0 Millersville lead.
• Millersville continued to control play in the second half. With 3:30 left in the third quarter,
Hannah Brown cracked a long pass down the end line that made its way through traffic and past the IUP keeper. Keracher waited in front of the goal and flicked the loose ball into the cage. Millersville added some insurance with 2:24 left in the game when Ehrlacher's pass from the edge of the circle found Harsh in the center. Harsh smoothly ripped a shot into the open cage.
• Harsh led Millersville with four shots, and Ehrlacher and Brown both added three.
• Koons made saves on both of IUP's shots, but she also hustled to clear a pair of loose balls that had gotten through the Millersville defense.
REACTION FROM HEAD COACH SHELLY BEHRENS
•
On the team's execution: "It was the game plan I wanted, and they executed it. It's really nice to win at home this time of year. I felt there was togetherness and execution with the game plan. I liked what we did and how we did."
•
On the performance of the midfield: "Georgia Werkhiser, Hannah (Brown) and Sol (Ortiz-Kreiner) set the tone in the middle of the field. We had a bit of a slow start, but we picked it up.
Saige Shine off the bench, everyone off the bench was great. I probably wanted to sub a little more, but I wanted to give the seniors this game. It was their's to finish."
•
On winning a playoff game: "We take 24 hours to enjoy this. We have 16-plus kids who have never been here before. Kudos to this team and the shutout for a nice win, a shutout win. When things went wrong, no one missed a beat."
NOTES
• Harsh's 14 goals are tied for the most by a Marauder since 2014 and are tied for the fourth-most in a season since 1984. Her 35 points are the third-most by a Marauder.
• Koons now has seven shutouts and dropped her goals against averaged to 0.58.
UP NEXT
• Millersville and Shippensburg's semifinal game starts at 1 p.m., Friday. The two teams are no strangers to meeting in the postseason, having matched up eight times since 2012. Millersville is 6-2 in those meetings with a 5-0 record in PSAC Tournament games vs. Shippensburg.
