Field Hockey

FIELD HOCKEY: Delaware Valley College 5, Drew University 1
Aggies Qualify For Freedom Conference Playoffs

DOYLESTOWN (PA) - Michelle Cernoybl registered a hat trick and Bobbie Fultz added a goal and two assists as the Delaware Valley College field hockey team earned a berth to the Freedom Conference playoffs for the first time since 2003 with a 5-1 home victory over Drew University.

The win lifted the Aggies to 9-8 overall and 4-3 in conference play. Delaware Valley finished tied for fourth with Wilkes University but the Aggies held the tiebreaker with a 1-0, last-minute victory over the Lady Colonels back on September 23.

As a result, Delaware Valley will hit the road to nationally-ranked King's College for the Freedom Conference semifinals on Wednesday, November 1 (time TBA). The championship game is slated for Saturday, November 4 at the highest seed remaining with the winner earning an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III playoffs.

Tuesday was Senior Day for Delaware Valley and all five seniors played a key role in the win. Fultz had four points, including the game-opening tally just four minutes into the contest. Shannon Shivak assisted on the goal as well as another as she tied the school's single-season record with seven helpers. Fellow seniors Dawn Eddis, Krista Palmer and Abby Pensinger keyed the defensive effort that allowed just one goal and it came in the final 10 minutes of the contest.

With the Aggies up 1-0, Cernoybl and fellow sophomore Lauren Lansberry went to work on the offensive end. Cernobyl notched her first goal of the game, an unassisted tally, with 23:20 to go in the first half. Lansberry followed exactly 15 minutes off a feed from Fultz to give Delaware Valley a 3-0 lead.

In the second half, Cernobyl scored twice in a span of 5:45 to complete the hat trick and up her season total to 10 goals. Shivak assisted on the first goal of the stanza and Fultz set her up on the next one for a 5-0 advantage.

Drew (3-11, 1-6 Freedom) avoided the shutout with 9:30 remaining as Hillary DeCataldo scored off an assist from Lauren Collini.

Delaware Valley held a 31-16 advantage in shots and an 11-4 advantage in corners. Amy Stafford stopped 12 shots for her fourth win of the season while Stef Rutkowski turned aside 20 shots for Drew.