NOVEMBER 8, 2016

KING'S FIELD HOCKEY SET FOR NCAA OPENER AT FRANKLIN & MARSHALL

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WILKES-BARRE — The King's College field hockey team will return to the NCAA Division III National Tournament for the first time in nine years when the Monarchs travel to face host Franklin & Marshall College at 5:00 p.m. at Tylus Field in Lancaster.

It will be the first meeting ever between King's and Franklin & Marshall. Just 24 teams received bids into the Division III national tournament.

Ticket prices have been set for $5 for adults and $3 for students with ID, senior citizens, and children. Directions to Tylus Field can be found at the following link: http://www.godiplomats.com/Facilities/NCAF

Fans unable to attend can follow the game online through Live Video and LiveStats. Go to the following link to access both options
https://portal.stretchinternet.com/fandm/

King's earned its first berth into the NCAA National Tournament since the Monarchs on back-to-back Freedom Conference championships in 2006 and 2007.  King's signed its ticket to the 2016 national event after the second-seeded Monarchs posted a dramatic 1-0 double-overtime win over top-seeded FDU-Florham in the Freedom Conference championship game on Saturday night.  King's will enter the matchup with a 13-6 record and have won six of their last seven games, avenging their lone loss in the stretch with its title game victory over FDU.

King's reached the NCAA tournament in head coach Martha Kerrick's first year at the helm. Kerrick was the lead assistant at King's for the past 15 years but owns a wealth of experience having been a collegiate head coach on three different occasions before arriving at King's.

King's is 0-2 in prior NCAA national tournament games, falling at Rowan University 2-0 in 2006 while dropping a 3-1 road verdict to Springfield College in 2007. King's came within one victory of NCAA national bids in 2009, 2010, and 2012 with second-place finishes in the Freedom Conference Tournament. King's is 0-3 against nationally-ranked teams this season. The Monarchs have lost to second-ranked Salisbury (5-1), 14th ranked Muhlenberg (2-1 OT), and 16th ranked Alvernia (2-1).

Franklin & Marshall, meanwhile, was ranked seventh in the most recent poll by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association. The Diplomats enter the national tournament with a 14-4 record after falling to sixth-ranked Ursinus College 2-1 in double-overtime in the Centennial Conference title game on Sunday.  F&M received one of just five national tournament at-large bids awarded by the NCAA. The Diplomats have won four of the last five games and 10 of their past 12 contests.

The Diplomats are making their third straight NCAA appearance and their fifth in six seasons. F&M is playing in their ninth NCAA national tournament in program history. Last season Franklin & Marshall defeated Cabrini 5-0 in the first round of the NCAA tournament but then lost to eventual national champion Middlebury 2-0 in the second round.  A win over King's would give the Diplomats three consecutive years of arching the NCAA "Sweet 16".

Offensively, King's has scored 46 goals this season, averaging 2.42 goals per-game while allowing 1.28 each contest.  The Monarch defense allows 8.4 shots per-game and has registered eight shutout wins.

 

Statistically, King's is led by junior forward Brianna DiMaggio (Wilkes-Barre/Meyers), a first-team All-Freedom Conference selection who tops the squad with 31 points on 14 goals and three assists and has three game-winning goals.  Sophomore forward Kelsey Gabriele (Plains/Coughlin) follows closely with 29 points on 11 goals and seven assists and has four game-winning scores. 

Senior forward Caitlin Wood (Plains/Coughlin) adds 21 points on nine goals and three assists and has three game-winning scores. Junior froward Selina Malacari (Wilkes-Barre/Holy Redeemer) contributes 15 points on six goals and three assists with two game-winning goals.

 

Pacing the midfield for King's is senior co-captain Nicole Sott and junior Sarah Zbierski (Plains/Coughlin), both second-team All-Freedom choices, along with junior Anastasia Araviakis (Baltimore, MD/Oldfields School) and sophomore Devan Pepe (Slatington/Northern Lehigh).

 

King's defense is led by senior co-captain Haley Waslasky (Plains/Coughlin), a second-team All-Freedom pick, and sophomore Symantha Sharon (Shavertown/Lake-Lehman). In goal, senior and team co-captain Paige Tedik (Plains/Coughlin), an honorable mention choice who owns a 1.24 goals against average with 68 saves.

Tedik has not allowed a goal in two post-season games and was named Freedom Conference Tournament most valuable player after registering a pair of shutouts. In the title game against FDU she made six saves, including a huge stop of a penalty stroke taken by two-time Freedom "Offensive Player of the Year" Kim Davis in the first over-time frame.

"As with many teams, our preseason goal was to win our conference championship," Kerrick stated.  "I am very impressed with our team's commitment to make that a realty.  The determination and dedication of each player as an individual and as a member of the team has allowed us to be successful. Our upcoming game versus Franklin & Marshall will be challenging; however, if we play with the same mental toughness and team cohesion we will have an opportunity to walk away with a win."

Franklin & Marshall has scored 44 goals in 18 games this season, averaging 2.4 per-game. As a team, the Diplomats' defense has been solid, allowing just 0.98 goals and just 7.8 shots per-game

Senior forward Melanie Consiglio leads Franklin & Marshall with 26 points on 12 goals and two assists and has four game-winning goals. Freshman midfielder Erin Coverdale follows with 21 points on nine goals and tree assists while sophomore forward Emily Nagle adds 20 points on eight goals and four assists. Junior forward Sydney Cole contributes 16 points on six goals and four assists while sophomore midfielder Nicole Bodo, freshman midfielder Mel Gula, and junior midfielder Annie Horsley chip in with eight points apiece.

On defense, senior Bridget Falcone, a first-team All-Centennial choice, and second-team pick Sarah Schannauer, have been major contributors while freshman Colleen Francis has started all 18 games. Sophomore midfielder Juliana Keagle has also excelled in 18 starts. In goal, sophomore Ilianna Santangelo earned first-team All-Centennial honors after posting a 0.93 goals against average and 66 saves with six shutouts.

The winner of the King's-Franklin & Marshall game will advance to the NCAA Tournament "Sweet 16" to face fifth-ranked The College of New Jersey (16-3) at Babson College in a four-team regional pod November 12-13 in Wellesley Hills, MA.  Babson (19-2), ranked ninth nationally, will face the winner of the first round pairing between St. John Fisher (18-2) and Rhodes College (15-2). The survivor will move on to the NCAA Division III "Final Four" November 19-20 on the campus of Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, N.Y.

LOCAL PLAYERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE:
King's field hockey team has 12 players hailing from Wyoming Valley Conference schools, including five from fellow Wilkes-Barre city school Coughlin High School. The Coughlin contingent includes seniors Paige Tedik, Caitlin Wood, and Haley Waslasky, junior Sarah Zbierski, and sophomore Kelsey Gabriele. Other local players from neighboring Wyoming Valley Conference schools include senior Nicole Sott (Wyoming Valley West), juniors Brianna DiMaggio (Meyers) and Selina Malacari (Holy Redeemer); sophomores Symantha Sharon (Lake-Lehman) and Rachel Zultevicz (Northwest), and freshmen Brittany Vital (G.A.R. Memorial) and Jillian Spak (Wyoming Area).

NOTE:  Pets are not permitted at Tylus Field during NCAA play.