Center Valley, PA (October 26, 2017) - The DeSales University field hockey team claimed the final MAC Freedom Postseason Tournament berth with a 2-1 win over King's College in MAC Freedom action on Thursday evening.
The Bulldogs (10-7, 4-3 MAC Freedom) will be making its fourth appearance in team history in the MAC Freedom postseason and its first since the 2014 season. DSU will be the #4 seed after finishing tied for third place with Wilkes University and will travel to the top seed, FDU-Florham, in the semifinals next Wednesday with game time to be announced later.
The win is also DSU's 10th of the season, marking just the third time in team history the Bulldogs have won 10+ games in a season. DeSales is one win shy of tying the program best mark of 11 wins set in 2014.
DeSales struck first on Thursday evening when sophomore
Kylie Honnick-Payne (Johnson City, NY) took control of a loose ball just in front of the keeper and slid a back handed shot just inside the post for a 1-0 lead at 11:23.
King's (8-10, 3-4 MAC Freedom) responded with the tying tally 6:31 later whenÂ
Kelsey Gabriele scored on a shot off a rebound of a blocked shot.
The Bulldogs regained the lead with 5:19 left in the opening half on a penalty corner. Junior
Chelsea DeFrancisco (Bethlehem, PA) sent in a hard shot off the corner feed, that senior
Kelly Meade (Philadelphia, PA) deflected right to Honnick-Payne all alone out in front as she fired a shot past the keeper. The goal was Honnick-Payne's 15th of the year and gives her 36 points on the season, breaking the single-season record which had been 35 points by bothÂ
Gina Malatesta andÂ
Ashley Sparango.
The DSU defense did the rest holding King's to just three shots and five penalty corners in the second-half. Sophomore
Katarina Polyviou (Cranford, NJ) made two saves in the win.
The Bulldogs wrap-up the regular season on Saturday when they travel to Immaculata University for a non-conference game set to begin at 1:00 pm.
