Box Score

ANNVILLE, Pa. – After falling behind 1-0, Lebanon Valley scored three unanswered goals in the first half, and the Flying Dutchmen inched closer to hosting a Commonwealth Conference playoff game after a 3-1 conference victory over Susquehanna University on Saturday afternoon at Herbert Field on Senior Day.

Lebanon Valley (9-2-4, 4-0-2 CC), ranked fifth in the Mid-Atlantic region, stayed on top of the Commonwealth Conference standings with the victory. If the Valley defeats Albright College on Thursday, the team will clinch a first or second-place finish in the conference and host a Commonwealth playoff game for the first time in team history.

Susquehanna dropped to 10-6-0 and 2-3-0 in conference play.

In the seventh minute, the Crusaders scored the game’s first goal when junior Jess Paulshock beat LVC keeper Jess Conrad (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) to her left on a penalty kick.

The Dutchmen pulled even in the 24th minute, when sophomore Christy Puthawala (Binghamton, N.Y./Seton Catholic Central) scored her fourth goal of the season. Senior Kim McDonald (Lancaster, Pa./McCaskey) hit Puthawala on the run with a perfect pass from the right flank, and Puthawala delivered from the top of the box with a shot that sailed over the head of Crusader keeper Melissa Karschner and into the back of the net.

In the 41st minute, McDonald handed out her second assist of the game to put LVC on top for good. McDonald served a cross from the left wing and into the right side of the box, where junior Christine Schmidt (Strasburg, Pa./Lampeter-Strasburg) booted it home for her third goal of the season.

With 54 seconds left in the opening half, senior Katie Altemose (Gettysburg, Pa./Gettysburg) provided LVC with an insurance goal when she converted a feed from Schmidt. The goal was Altemose’s fifth of the season and 33rd of her career, tying McDonald for the LVC career record.

McDonald’s two assists upped her career total to 24, just two short of the school record held by Robyn LaRosa ’02.

Conrad faced nine Susquehanna shots and picked up two saves while earning her ninth win of the season. Karschner stopped four shots for the Crusaders.

Lebanon Valley hosts Albright at 3 p.m. on Thursday.

Susquehanna           1         0     -      1
Lebanon Valley       3         0     -      3

S – Jess Paulshock (penalty kick), 6:28
LV – Christy Puthawala (Kim McDonald), 23:35
LV – Christine Schmidt (Kim McDonald), 40:52
LV – Katie Altemose (Christine Schmidt), 44:06

Shots: Susquehanna 9. Lebanon Valley 11.
Saves: Susquehanna (Melissa Karschner) 4. Lebanon Valley (Jess Conrad) 2.
Corner Kicks: Susquehanna 2. Lebanon Valley 0.
Team Records: Susquehanna 10-6-0, 2-3-0 CC. Lebanon Valley 9-2-4, 4-0-2 CC.

[Photo - Senior Kim McDonald, who had two assists in Lebanon Valley's 3-1 win over Susquehanna on Saturday]

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