Pacers Clinch Playoff Berth with 6-2 Win Over Keystone
Leanne McManus had four more goals today as Marywood beat Keystone 6-2

Pacers Clinch Playoff Berth with 6-2 Win Over Keystone

Field Hockey - 10/21/2015 5:50:00 PM

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La Plume, PA - Leanne McManus scored four goals for the second consecutive game and Marywood University clinched their first post-season playoff berth since 2012 as the the Pacers downed host Keystone College 6-2 in Colonial States Athletic Conference field hockey action Wednesday afternoon in La Plume.  Tori Jo Kakusian added two goals for the Pacers, who improved to 8-6 overall and 4-1 in league play.

Marywood narrowly missed a playoff berth last year under first year Head Coach Kacy Manning but were eliminated in a three-way tiebreaker due to goal differential after Marywood fell to Keystone in the season finale.  This year, the Pacers left little doubt as Manning and her team took care of business early, building a 3-0 lead in the first 11 minutes of the game.

Kakusian opened the scoring on a penalty stroke just 6:04 into the contest, then 1:14 later McManus got on the board when she took a cross from Julie Kowalkski on the right side and one-timed it home to double the Pacers lead in the eighth minute.

A little over three minutes later Kakusian was at it again, taking a penalty corner feed from Gabbie Bower and blasting it home from the top of the arc.

McManus then netted back-to-back goals in the 25th and 31st minute, the first off a helper from Amelia Waibel, as the Pacers built a 5-0 lead.  

With just 13 seconds left in the half, the  host Giants (4-8, 3-2 CSAC) ruined the shutout bid as Justine Firmstone scored on a penalty corner from Genesis Pacheco.

In the second half, each team netted one goal.  McManus added her fourth goal and eighth point of the day, again tying her own program record for points in a single game, when she scored off another Kowalski assist.  Pachecho tapped in a ball at the far post for Keystone in the 61st minute to make it a 6-2 game.

Nicole Merrill had five saves in the win for Marywood while Kakusian added two defensive saves and Kirsten Webb had one.  Kakusian now has a team-best 11 defensive saves on the season.  Amy Denmon made 10 saves in the loss for the Giants, who got two defensive stops from Firmstone and another from Kaitlyn Sawicki.  Marywood out-shot the hosts 22-14 (19-10 on goal) while Keystone had 13 penalty corners to Marywood's five.

The Pacers are back in action Saturday at 3:00 pm when they host Notre Dame of Maryland University.  
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