Field Hockey
#18 Lebanon Valley 3, Elizabethtown 0

Box Score

ANNVILLE, Pa. - #18 Lebanon Valley overcame a tough defensive stand by Elizabethtown, riding two goals by Jocelyn Novak and another from Bridget Monighan to win 3-0 and secure a home Commonwealth Conference playoff game in the regular-season finale.

The Dutchmen (14-4, 5-1 CC) won their 10th straight game, exploding for 16 second-half shots after the Blue Jays (10-6, 3-3 CC) held them to just three chances in the first half.

LVC will host Alvernia, a 2-1 winner over Widener, on Wednesday, Nov. 2 at a time to be determined in the CC semifinals; the Dutchmen won the regular-season meeting 4-2 back on Oct. 15. Elizabethtown, the fourth seed, will visit top-seeded Messiah in the bracket's other game, with the winners meeting Nov. 5.

Novak took her NCAA-best season total to 29 with goals in each half, and Monighan added breathing room on LVC's second goal. Novak, who broke the NCAA Division III all-time goals mark on Saturday, took her career total to 135 as Lebanon Valley won for the 14th straight outing against their conference rivals dating back to 2002.

After being held to a 3-2 shots edge in the first half, the Dutchmen outshot the visitors 16-4 in the second for a game total of 19-6. LVC also took 14 penalty corners, generating two goals in the process. Christine Poletti made five saves to earn the shutout, withstanding a late E-town rally and eight Blue Jay corners.

Novak buried a rebounded Jenni Walker shot to open the scoring in the 21st minute, but the Blue Jays defense stayed behind the ball and held the Dutchmen without a serious chance for the rest of the half.

Lebanon Valley came out firing in the second half, ripping off six shots before Monighan came around and tipped Jess Cox's shot off a corner in the 49th minute to pad the lead at 2-0. Novak added the late goal, redirecting Walker's pass off a loose ball with 2:44 remaining in the game.

Lindy Hamp made nine saves for the Jays, eight of them in the second half.