Marywood Hosts Centenary in CSAC Women's Championship Saturday
Marywood celebrates their goal in a semifinal win over Gwynedd Mercy Wednesday

Marywood Hosts Centenary in CSAC Women's Championship Saturday

Women's Soccer - 11/3/2016 12:39:00 PM

Championship Program

Scranton, Pa. – Top-seed Marywood University will host #3 Centenary University in the 2016 Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Women's Soccer Championship this Saturday, November 5, at 1:00 pm.  The CSAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III tournament is on the line as each team will be searching for their second title.

Senior Brianna Bruster sent the Pacers to their third Championship match in program history with a goal in the 27th minute in Marywood's 1-0 win over #5 Gwynedd Mercy University in Wednesday's semifinal.  Marywood won their only Conference title in 2008 and was runner-up in 2009.  Marywood (10-5-2) has won six regular season crowns (shared two) but has only held the tournament hardware once.

Centenary (11-8) defeated #2 Cabrini University 3-0 Wednesday evening, avenging a defeat at the hands of the Cavaliers by an identical score earlier this season and in the process snapping Cabrini's five-year title run and preventing the Cavaliers from a chance at a sixth straight Championship.  The Cyclones won the 2010 CSAC title for their only Championship.  They were also runner-up in 2007 and 2014.

The Cyclones come into Saturday's Championship game with 13 goals in the last three games, including a come-from-behind 5-3 win over Neumann in the opening round and a 3-0 blanking of #2 Centenary in the semifinal round.

Centenary has posted 49 goals on the season and allowed just 25. Junior Emily Pizzuto has been the veteran leader for the Cyclones' defense, as she was named the CSAC Player of the Year and All-CSAC First Team. Sophomore Amanda Benoit, a First Team Selection currently leads the Cyclones in all major categories including points (37), goals (12) and assists (13).

Freshman Chloe Christopher, an All-Conference Honorable Mention selection, has 25 points on 13 assists and six goals. Junior Kaitlin Marold made 62 saves in 13 starts for a .806 save percentage and six shutouts.  

First Team All-CSAC honorees Danielle Rill, Megan Swiecicki and Julie Youngman will look to lead Marywood to their second title.  Marywood is 4-0-1 in their last five games with all games coming via shutout. The Pacers have outscored their opponents 19-0 during that stretch.

Rill, a captain, leads the Pacers' backline from a center-back position and has helped the team to seven clean sheets on the year.  Swiecicki leads the team in goals (13) and points (32) and ranks second in assists (6). Youngman leads the Pacers in helpers (9) and ranks second in goals (7) and points (23).

In all, Marywood has gotten goals from 13 players and points from 18 as the Pacers have 49 tallies on the season.  Six players have 10 or more points.  

Honorable Mention All-CSAC goalkeeper Aly Moyer (4 solo, 3 shared shutouts) has played over 1500 minutes in goals and has a 1.69 goals against average overall but a 0.64 mark in conference play.  
 
During the regular season, Marywood edged Centenary 2-1 on a Youngman goal with just over three minutes left in double overtime.  Emily Gerbehy scored on a first half direct kick for the Pacers while Benoit scored Centenary's equalizer on a direct kick in the second half.  Saturday's match will mark the first meeting between the two schools in a CSAC Women's Soccer Championship.
 
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