Palasik Tallies Four Defensive Saves For Shorewomen

COLLEGEVILLE, PA – Host #3 Ursinus College scored four goals in the first half as the Bears downed visiting Washington College, 6-0, on Saturday afternoon at Eleanor Frost Snell Alumnae Field in the semifinal round of the Centennial Conference Field Hockey Tournament.  Top seeded Ursinus (17-1) advances to Sunday's final against the winner of second seed Johns Hopkins and third seed Haverford.  Fifth seeded Washington concludes it season at 9-10.

Alyssa Thren of Ursinus set up the first goal as she lofted a pass into the goal mouth and Jennifer Bayzick tapped it in to put Ursinus up 1-0 with 26:14 left in the first half.  Thren made it 2-0 Bears when she dribbled through several Washington defenders and rocketed a shot into the lower left corner with 20:36 to go in the opening half.  Michelle Wimmer pushed the lead to 3-0 when she connected on a feed from Taylor Weidensaul.  Corinne Freeman scored the final goal of the half on a loose ball in front of the cage.

Wimmer made it 5-0 with 24:49 left in the game when she converted on a penalty stroke.  Wimmer scored the final goal of the game with 12:30 to go on a feed by Bayzick.

Wimmer had three goals to lead the Ursinus offense, while Thren, Bayzick and Freeman had a goal each.  Thren, Bayzick and Weidensaul each had one assist.  In goal, LauraLee Lightwood-Mater made one save.

For Washington, senior goalkeeper Shannon Davis (Sykesville, MD/Liberty) made 12 saves and allowed five goals, while freshman goalkeeper Steph Harryman (Churchton, MD/Southern) allowed the goal on the penalty stroke.  Junior defender Brittany Palasik (Severna Park, MD/Archbishop Spalding) made four defensive saves to give her 33 for her career, a Centennial Conference record, and 25 for the season, an unofficial Division III record.  Sophomore defender Erin Lewns (Fallston, MD/North Harford) tallied one defensive save.

Ursinus outshot Washington in the game by a 34-4 margin and had a 13-5 edge in penalty corners.

The Shorewomen competed in their sixth conference tournament in 2010 and have played in two of the prior three conference championships.  The tournament began in 2000.