Bloomsburg Downs Mansfield in PSAC Field Hockey Semifinals

BLOOMSBURG- Ashley Heckard (Millerstown/Greenwood) scored two goals to lead the Bloomsburg University field hockey team to a 3-2 win over Mansfield on Friday in the semi-finals of the 2006 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) field hockey playoffs.

In the other semifinal game, Shippensburg defeated Indiana (PA), 3-2 in overtime, to also advance to the finals.

Chelsea Due Assists On A Goal

The title game is set for Saturday at 5 p.m. at Sports Stadium.

Bloomsburg, the top-seed of the tournament, went back and forth with Mansfield in the early going with neither team controlling the action. The Huskies, though, appeared to grab some momentum when they put together five penalty corners in a row with around 17 minutes to play. However, each time the Mountaineers, making their first PSAC playoff appearance ever, denied Bloomsburg.

Heckard finally put the Huskies on the board when she scored unassisted at the 24:51 mark to put the home team in front. However, the lead was short-lived.

Mansfield's Shan Markwis scored with less than five minutes left in the opening half with the assist going on Ryanne Higgins. The halftime tie was just the second this year for the Huskies, both against Mansfield.

In the second half the Huskies came out quickly and went in front with Jamie Vanartsdalen (Huntington Valley/ Lower Moreland) scoring on a Maribeth Brozena (Larksville/ Wyoming Valley West) assist just 2:26 into the period.

Maggey Bloskey Fights For Posession

Bloomsburg was able to control the action for the next 20 minutes, but a strong Mansfield defense kept the game at 2-1. The Huskies finally opened a two-goal advantage when Heckard scored for the second time, this off a Mansfield turnover with about 12 minutes to go in the game.

The Mounties, though, came back with 2:51 to play with a goal from Higgins to once again make it a one-goal contest. Bloomsburg, though, was able to keep the ball on the Mansfield side of the field and came away with a 3-2 victory.

The Huskies, now 21-0, will play for the PSAC title for the fifth straight year.

Shippensburg advanced to the finals with a 3-2 win over IUP. Ashley Watts scored twice to rally the Red Raiders. Watts scored at the 66:19 mark to tie the game at 2-2, then scored the game-winner in overtime at the 76:27 mark to lift Shippensburg to a rematch of the 2005 PSAC title game won by the Lady Raiders.

IUP had taken a 2-1 lead at halftime with goals by Jessica Velgos and Liz Marosky with the Shippensburg goal coming from Kristen Miller.

Shippensburg is now 16-4 on the year, while IUP falls to 14-5.