GREENVILLE, Pa. (pacathletics.org)--Top-seeded Washington & Jefferson College and No. 3 Thiel College secured spots in Saturday's Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Women's Lacrosse Championship Tournament title game after posting semifinal victories Wednesday night. 

W&J (9-0) earned a 17-12 win over No. 4 Franciscan University (4-4) at Alexandre Stadium in Washington. Number three Thiel (6-2) claimed a 23-18 victory over No. 2 Chatham University (7-2) at UPMC Graham Field in Pittsburgh. 

Saturday's title game is scheduled to get underway at 1 p.m. at Alexandre Stadium. 

The winner of the PAC Championship Tournament will receive the conference's automatic-qualifying bid to the NCAA Division III Championship. The field for this year’s Division III Championship is scheduled to be announced Monday, May 3 at 10:30 a.m. (EDT). First and second round games are scheduled for Saturday-Sunday, May 8-9.
 

Wednesday, April 28

PAC Championship Tournament [Semifinal 1] No. 4 Franciscan at No. 1 W&J Alexandre Field--Washington, Pa.

Result: W&J 17, Franciscan 12 Box score

Wednesday was W&J's second-straight win over Franciscan in the semifinal round... W&J sophomore Sarah Labovitz (Great Falls, Va. | The Bullis School) tied her season high with seven goals in the semifinal win... She finished the game with eight points, six ground balls, four draw controls and a pair of caused turnovers... Labovitz also went 3-for-4 on free position shots... Sophomore Amanda Effland (Frederick, Md. | Frederick) had four goals and an assist while adding four ground balls and three caused turnovers... Sophomore Becca Ghion (Sutersville, Pa. | Yough) and junior Clara Sherwood (Indiana, Pa. | Indiana) each added a pair of goals... Freshman Sofia Jenkins (Hughesville, Md. | The Calverton School) finished with three assists... Freshman Kaitlyn Brown (Charlotte Hall, Md. | La Plata) made 11 saves for the Presidents... Down 4-3 after Franciscan freshman Joanna Hilkert (Danville, Pa. | Danville) scored with 14:48 to go in the first, W&J ripped off the final five goals of the half to take an 8-4 lead into halftime... Franciscan junior Grace Deegan (Arkon, Ohio | Stow) had five goals in the loss... Senior Maureen Cain (Cleveland, Ohio | Rocky River) earned 11 draw controls and added three ground balls... Senior Sam Callahan (Danvers, Mass. | St. Mary's) had 13 saves for Franciscan.

 

Wednesday, April 28

PAC Championship Tournament [Semifinal 2] No. 3 Thiel at No. 2 Chatham UPMC Graham Field--Pittsburgh, Pa.

Result: Thiel 23, Chatham 18 Box score

Thiel senior Mackenzie Quinn (Carnegie, Pa. | Chartiers Valley) rifled in seven goals and finished with eight points in the semifinal victory... She added five ground balls, three draw controls and went 2-for-2 on free position shots... Junior Destiny Johnson (Baltimore, Md. | Western) posted a game-best nine points, scoring six goals and assisting on three more... Johnson totaled five ground balls and four draw controls... Freshman Ashlyn Wightman (Glenshaw, Pa. | Shaler) totaled six points on four goals and an assist... She added four draw controls... Senior Alex Geraci (Garrettsville, Ohio | Crestwood) had a pair of goals, six draw controls and four ground balls... Junior Maddy Wightman (Glenshaw, Pa. | Shaler) chipped in with three goals... Tied 8-8 at the half, Thiel battled back from a 13-11 deficit to tie the game at 13-13 on Quinn's free position goal with under 20 minutes remaining in regulation... Quinn netted the eventual game-winner just 33 seconds later... Chatham graduate student Bria Braddock (Pittsburgh, Pa. | Blackhawk) finished with six points on five goals and an assist... She added three ground balls, five draw controls and two caused turnovers... Graduate student Rachel Belles (Pittsburgh, Pa. | Vincentian Academy) finished with two goals, an assist, seven ground balls, 14 draw controls and three caused turnovers... Graduate student Anna Prendergast (East Windsor, N.J. | Notre Dame) chipped in with four goals and four draw controls... Sophomore Aria Dietrich (Upper St. Clair, Pa. | Upper St. Clair) made 14 saves for the Cougars.