AEC PREVIEW | Top-Seeded Pacers Welcome Saints to Scranton in Semis

Brooke Longstreet has scored in back-to-back games

Scranton, Pa. – Marywood University's quest for a fourth women's soccer conference championship begins Wednesday evening in the 2022 Atlantic East Conference semifinal. The top-seeded Pacers welcome No. 5 Marymount University at 6 p.m. in Scranton. The game will be aired on the Atlantic East Network.

Marywood (9-6-2) secured the first seed in the Atlantic East playoffs for the second straight season with a draw against Neumann University to conclude its conference slate. The Pacers remained undefeated in 14 consecutive Atlantic East matches (13-0-1) that dates back to Oct. 23, 2019. Marywood wrapped up its regular season with a loss to Penn College of Technology that ended an undefeated streak of nine games. It has won five straight on its home turf.

Marymount (6-8-5) put on an offensive display in a 5-1 victory over No. 4 Centenary University in the first round of the playoffs. It marks the Saints' first conference semifinal appearance since 1993 (CAC). The Saints scored all five in the second half after the Cyclones put up a goal in the 29^th minute. The Saints backed its way into the playoffs with a 1-1 draw against Immaculata in the regular season finale.

The Pacers have won conference championships in 2008, 2016 and 2018.

Cabrini University and Neumann University square up in the other semifinal at 7 p.m. in Radnor Twp.

SERIES HISTORY

Marywood holds a 5-1 lead over Marymount in the all-time series. The Pacers and Saints played once in 2002 before becoming Atlantic East members. Marymount's lone win over the Pacers came in their first conference bout with a 2-0 decision. The Pacers returned the favor in that season's first round with a 4-2 victory on three-point efforts from Becca Dolgas and Julie Youngman. The Pacers currently have a four-game winning streak in the series.

In their previous meeting this season, the Pacers were on the winning end of a 1-0 match. Kate Kollar-Dye scored the game-winner in the 66^th minute on a Riley Mulherin feed. Rebekah Becker made three stops.

PLAYERS TO KNOW

Riley Mulherin, fwd., Marywood: Despite missing a full month with an injury, Mulherin led the Atlantic East in points per game (2.11) and finished the regular season campaign with seven goals and five assists. Mulherin assisted game-winning goals to Kate Kollar-Dye in one-goal victories over Cabrini and Marymount in the regular season. She led the Atlantic East in goals, assists and points during conference play.

Josephine Sorce, mid., Marywood: Sorce led the Atlantic East with 11 assists on the season and ranks second in total points. In NCAA Division III, Sorce ranks eighth in total assists and 12^th in assists per game (.65). The reigning Offensive Player of the Year put up a season-best four-point performance against Immaculata on Oct. 19.

Brooke Longstreet, def., Marywood: Longstreet has scored in back-to-back games, totalling the Pacers' entire offensive production in that span. She has five goals and an assist as a defender. In the Pacers' playoff win over the Saints in 2018, Longstreet scored a crucial goal on a Megan Swiecicki corner kick.

Eliza Diggs, mid., Marymount: With just one regular season goal to her name, Diggs went off for a hat trick (with an assist) in the Saints' first round win over Centenary. All three goals came in a 27-minute span. Her entire offensive production came in just two games with a goal and an assist against Notre Dame Maryland.

Laney Placido, mid., Marymount: Placido's two goals against the Cyclones moved her ahead of the Pacers' Carly Walters (9) for the most goals in the Atlantic East. She leads the conference with 25 total points and sits second behind Mulherin in points per game.

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