Going into West Chester’s second-round game of the NCAA Tournament, the ladies still had much to prove as they faulted earlier last week. The Golden Rams (13-4-1) had a spectacular season as they began with 10 straight wins, but faced some bumps in the road towards the end.
After losing their last regular season match, they would be bounced in the quarterfinals of the PSAC Tournament by Slippery Rock. Not wanting to end their season with a sour taste in their mouths, it was imperative for them to come out firing against West Virginia Wesleyan on Sunday.
Coming into the match, West Virginia Wesleyan had already upset the No. 3 seeded Gannon but it wouldn’t get any easier as they faced No. 2 West Chester. From the onset of the game, the Lady Rams showed the Bobcats no mercy as continued to pepper their goalkeeper with shots.
The first blow came in the 23 minute when West Chester’s Dana Hunt scored on Wesleyan’s goalkeeper, Laura Duncan. The ladies would continue to dominate ball possession and took that lead into the locker room.
The second half displayed what the Lady Rams have been all about this year. Their relentlessness on the offensive side of the ball and solid defense behind them stood the test against a dangerous Bobcats team. Goalkeeper Shannon Fedyk held strong in her biggest game of the year so far as West Chester shutout West Virginia Wesleyan, 1-0. Shots on goal told the story of the match as the Rams would outshoot their opponents by a staggering, 13-6 count and forcing the Bobcats to play on their heels much of the game. Even though West Chester committed twice as many fouls as Wesleyan, the aggressiveness shows that the girls weren’t ready for their season to end.
Next up for the Lady Rams is a date with the winner between No. 1 ranked California University of Pennsylvania and No. 5 Slippery Rock. Both prove to be tough matches for the girls as they narrowed beat California University earlier this season, 2-1 and Slippery Rock’s upset of the Rams that just occurred last week.
Going into the game, West Chester should not need any more motivation with key seniors, Melissa McKeary and Jen Hutchinson, leading the way. At this point, each team knows the other well enough so it’s going to come down to who executes most effectively. The ladies next match is scheduled for Friday, November 16 with the time yet to be determined.
Taylor Maren is a third-year student majoring in communication studies. He can be reached at TM741168@wcupa.edu.