Alvernia Will Travel To Lynchburg For NCAA Opener

Winner Plays At No. 3 Messiah Friday

Reading , PA (Nov. 7, 2005) – The Alvernia College field hockey team, winners of the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference Championship, will travel to Lynchburg College (15-6) for the first round of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Field Hockey Championship Tournament Wednesday at 1:00 p.m.

            The NCAA Tournament consists of 24 teams with eight receiving first round byes.  The Messiah College Falcons, winners of the Commonwealth Conference, will host the winner of Wednesday’s Alvernia/Lynchburg game on Friday at 10:00 a.m.

            The Crusaders (17-3) are making their first NCAA appearance following a 4-3 overtime win over Eastern University in the PAC Championship this past Saturday.  Alvernia ran through the conference regular season with a 10-1 record to earn the top seed in the six-team tournament.  Following a first-round bye, the Crusaders topped #6 Neumann College , 4-0, in the semifinal.

            The Hornets earned one of eight at-large bids into the tournament after falling to Washington & Lee in the final of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Championships.  Lynchburg is making its seventh NCAA appearance having advanced to the quarterfinals in 2001 and the second round in 2002.

            Lynchburg senior Andrea Fleming ( Milford , DE / Milford ) leads the ODAC in goals (23) and points (52). Sophomore attack Samantha Howard ( Fairfax Station, VA/W.T. Woodson) has 11 goals and eight assists while Kara Culkin ( Gloucester , VA / Gloucester ) and Dawn McGaha ( Wyoming , DE/Caesar Rodney) are tied for the team lead with 10 assists each.

            Alvernia is led by junior Becky Macchione ( Richland , PA /Conrad Weiser) with a PAC best 22 goals and 50 points.  Classmate Megan Novogratz ( Allentown , PA /Central Catholic) is right on her heels with 19 goals, 45 points, and a team-high seven assists.  Senior goalie Carey Manzolillo ( Bernville , PA /Governor Mifflin) has started all 20 games in net for the Crusaders and has a 1.07 goals against average to go with a .868 save percentage and six shutouts.

            The Crusaders and the Hornets have one common opponent this season.  Both teams beat Villa Julie College with the Hornets taking a 4-2 decision in Baltimore , while the Crusaders enjoyed a 6-0 win at home on the final day of the regular season.

            The NCAA semifinals and finals will be played at Liberty Hall Field on the campus of Washington and Lee University in Lexington , Virginia . Semifinals will be played at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Friday, November 18, with the championship game being played Saturday, November 19, at 1 p.m.