Monday, October 23, 2000

MORAVIAN TO HOST MESSIAH IN COMMONWEALTH SEMIFINALS

BETHLEHEM, PA --- The Moravian College women's soccer team, which has made the Commonwealth Conference playoffs for the first time in school history, will host Messiah College in the Commonwealth Conference semifinals on Wednesday, October 25^th at 3:00 p.m. at the HUB Quad in Bethlehem.

The Greyhounds, who have won a school record 16 matches this season, tied Messiah and Elizabethtown College for the Commonwealth Conference regular season title with a Commonwealth mark of 6-1.  During the regular season, Messiah topped Elizabethtown, 2-1, Moravian defeated Messiah, 1-0, and Elizabethtown beat Moravian, 3-2.  The Blue Jays are the top seed in the tournament due to scoring more goals in Commonwealth action and the Greyhounds earned the second seed by defeating Messiah last Saturday.

Wednesday's other semifinal will pit top seeded Elizabethtown against fourth-seed Lebanon Valley College at 2:30 p.m. in Elizabethtown.  The winners of Wednesday's semifinals will meet at the highest remaining seed on Saturday, October 28^th with winner earning an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Moravian, tied for eighth in the Mid-Atlantic Region Poll this week by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, has lost to a pair regionally ranked teams this season, falling to fifth ranked University of Scranton, 2-1, and tenth ranked William Paterson University, 3-0, to open the 2000 season.  The Greyhounds' other loss is to Elizabethtown.

The Greyhounds, who have scored a school record 58 goals this year, entered the 2000 campaign with a question on who would be the goal scorer with the graduation of all-time leading scorer Carli Miller and the answer has been by committee with 13 different players scoring at least one goal this season and ten athletes scoring multiple goals.  Senior forwards Becky Matijasich (Alpharetta, GA/Wilson West Lawn {PA} HS) and Lindsey Forman (Sharon, MA/Sharon HS) and freshman defender Jackie Buschta (Whitehall/Allentown Central Catholic HS) have found the back of the net nine times each for second-year head coach Eric Lambinus, a 1994 Moravian graduate.  Sophomore midfielder Erin Glynn (Bernardsville, NJ/Bernards HS) has scored eight goals this season while junior midfielder Stevie Ochse (Bethlehem/ Saucon Valley HS) has scored seven goals and added seven assists.  Senior midfielder Marisa Confuorto (Neshanic Station, NJ/Hillsborough HS) has set the Moravian single season record for assists with 11 this year.

Moravian has a team goals against average of 0.87 and has posted nine shutouts this season.  Senior keeper Becky Roe (Worcester, NY/Worcester Central HS) won all three matches last week, including the shutout of Messiah.  Roe is 10-1 this season with three solo shutouts, 55 saves and a 0.84 goals against average in 961 minutes.  Sophomore keeper Neali Miller (Wyomissing/Wilson West Lawn HS) has posted a 5-2 record with three solo shutouts, 44 saves and a 1.08 goals against average in 585 minutes of action.