ANNVILLE, Pa. - The No. 2 Lebanon Valley College field hockey team completed an undefeated regular season and clinched the top seed in the Commonwealth Conference playoffs Sunday, defeating Elizabethtown College 5-2 on Senior Day.
The Flying Dutchmen (19-0, 4-0 CC) will get a chance to defend their CC title with a bye to the championship game next Saturday. They will play the winner of the semifinal between Messiah and Elizabethtown, to be played at Messiah on Wednesday.
The undefeated regular season is a first for the Dutchmen, who lead the nation with 19 wins.
Despite the score, neither team generated much offense; Lebanon Valley was held to a season-low 10 shots and the Blue Jays (11-7, 2-2 CC) took only two. The teams made up for it with efficiency, scoring seven goals on 12 shots combined.
Junior Alex Wolfe put LVC on the board five minutes in when she collected a misplayed ball and shot from an angle for the unassisted tally.
LVC earned another opportunity in the 25th minute when E-town goalkeeper Laura Ressler fell on and covered the ball and a penalty stroke was called. LVC's stroke specialist, senior Christine Schairer, converted the chance to make it 2-0.
Senior Shauna Enck made it 3-0 at 32:00 when she redirected a long-range pass from classmate Mimi Sullivan.
The Blue Jays would not go quietly, however, and started the second half with a goal from Megan Angstadt, who tipped in a corner off a shot from Tiffany Vogel.
The Dutchmen responded quickly, and less than a minute after E-town's first goal, freshman Shelly Lobach took Wolfe's pass and buried the finish at 48:38. Junior Sarah Bevans followed that up by collecting a rebound and scoring at 51:28.
Vogel added a final consolation goal at 64:11, but by then the celebration was on and LVC's undefeated regular season was ensured.
LVC took a season-low 10 shots, but held a 10-2 advantage over the Blue Jays. LVC led 8-6 on corners. Sophomore Caitlin Baro did not make a save in earning the win, while Ressler stopped one.
Lebanon Valley will now await the result of Wednesday's Messiah-Elizabethtown clash to find out their opponent in the CC championship game. That game will be played at the LVC Field Hockey Stadium a time to be announced on Nov. 3.
