W&J Women’s Soccer Season Ends In PAC Semifinals
GROVE CITY, Pa. -- Nicole Youngs-Stahl bounced in a long shot with 9:40 remaining to give second-seeded Grove City a 2-1 victory over third-seeded Washington & Jefferson in the semifinal round of the 2012 Presidents’ Athletic Conference Women’s Soccer Tournament on Wednesday afternoon at Grove City High School’s Forker Field.
The Wolverines (15-3-1) now advance to play the winner of the match between top-seeded Thomas More and fourth-seeded Waynesburg. W&J’s season ends with a 10-8-1 overall record.
The match was the last for six W&J seniors, who finish their career with 50 victories (50-25-5) and a pair of conference championships: defenders Emma Donahey (Hilton, N.Y./Hilton Central) and Lauren Reynolds (Irwin, Pa./Norwin) and Hannah Shaner (Elizabeth, Pa./Elizabeth-Forward), midfielders Kelsey Kraus (Sewickley, Pa./Quaker Valley) and Dawn Murphy (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) and forward Chrissy Marcius (North Huntingdon, Pa./Norwin).
Grove City grabbed the early lead in the 11th minute when the Wolverines were awarded a penalty kick and Sam Weber snuck a shot past freshman goalkeeper Sarah Youngblood (Ligonier, Pa./Ligonier Valley).
The Presidents tied the match 18 minutes later when junior forward Holly Shipley (Scottdale, Pa./Southmoreland) found the back of the net for her 16th goal of the season. Her 16 goals were the most by a President since Jen Pergola ’06 scored 19 during the 2003 season.
The score remained that way until Youngs-Stahl’s goal that bounced over Youngblood’s head into the net. W&J was limited to one shot the rest of the way, a Marcius attempt saved by GCC goalie Kristi Lathrop with 2:33 left.
Grove City outshot W&J by a 16-6 margin and attempted all three of the game’s corner kicks. Lathrop stopped three shots, while Youngblood notched five saves. Marcius, who led the Presidents with three shots, finished her career as the fourth-leading scorer in school history with 96 points (32 goals, 32 assists). Her 32 assists were the second-highest career total in school history.
Shipley will enter her final collegiate season next fall with 107 career points (41 goals, 25 assists). She is 20 goals and 50 points from tying W&J Hall of Famer Nicole (Bosley) Bednarski ’01 for the school career records in both categories.
