Moccasin Game Notes | Division II Interactive Bracket
DENVER - Sixty minutes is all that remains in the Division II women's lacrosse season as third-ranked Florida Southern and top-ranked Adelphi will clash for the second time this season in Saturday's NCAA Division II National Championship Game here at the Regency Athletic Complex on the campus of Metro State University.
The first draw for Saturday's national championship is scheduled for 4 p.m. Eastern and will be streamed live on the NCAA.com website.
For Florida Southern, Saturday's game will be its first-ever national championship game appearance as the Moccasins are making just its second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance this season and will be playing in just its fourth NCAA Tournament game when it faces Adelphi. FSC earned its spot in the national title game following its 15-11 win over fourth-ranked Lindenwood in Thursday's national semifinals.
Meanwhile, Adelphi comes into Saturday's championship game as experienced postseason veterans as the Panthers are seeking to take home its third consecutive national title in women's lacrosse and its eighth overall national title in the sport. Additionally, Saturday's game will mark the 25th NCAA Tournament game in school history for Adelphi and its eighth appearance in the national title game.
Adelphi comes into the game sporting a perfect 21-0 record and have reeled off 28 consecutive wins since suffering a 10-5 loss at home to New Haven last season. Since that loss, the Panthers closed out the 2015 season by winning its final seven games, including defeating top-seed Lock Haven, 5-4 in the last year's national championship game and they have won their first 21 games this season.
The Mocs, like Adelphi, come into Saturday's championship game riding a long winning streak of their own as the Moccasins have won a school record 13 consecutive games since falling 10-9 to Hamilton in Bradenton, Fla., on March 17. In fact, FSC has won 18 of its last 19 games overall since opening the season with back-to-back home losses to Grand Valley State (10-7) and Adelphi. FSC is sporting an 18-3 record and is one win shy of tying the school record for single season wins (19).
Saturday's game will be the second meeting this season between the teams the Panthers picked up a hard-fought 16-10 victory over the Mocs in the Lakeland on Feb. 22. In that game, the Panthers held the Mocs to five goals in each half and finished with a 30-18 edge in shots and held a decided advantage on draw controls, 19-8, in the win at Bryant Stadium.
Despite the loss to the Panthers, the Mocs did come away from that game knowing that they can score on the Panthers as the 10 goals they scored were the most allowed this season in a game by Adelphi. On the year, the Panthers are allowing 4.10 goals per game and in its two NCAA Tournament games, the Panthers have outscored their opposition, 30-7, including holding No. 2 ranked Le Moyne to four goals in Thursday's 13-4 national semifinal win over the Dolphins.
In fact, since allowing those 10 goals to the Mocs in its second game of the season, Adelphi, hasn't allowed a team to score more than eight goals in game and has held 11 of its opponents to three goals or fewer on the season.
Leading the way offensively for the Panthers is junior attacker Jacqueline Jahelka and senior attacker Emily Keesling. On the season, Jahelka, who was named the Northeast-10 Conference Player of the Year and is a First-Team IWLCA All-American, has scored 79 goals and totaled 103 points on the year, while Keesling has totaled 46 goals, 36 assists and had 82 points on the season. Overall, six Panthers have scored 30 or more goals this season, including three players recording 40 or more goals on the year.
Adelphi's offense is also paced by the play of senior attacker Rachel O'Brien, who leads the Panthers and is third in Division II in assists with 58 and has totaled 99 points as she has also scored 41 goals.
"They'll play their game, challenge the cage and drive, drive, drive," Moccasin coach Kara Reber said when asked about facing Adelphi. "We've just got to make sure that we have strong defensive effort. I think their offense is extemely potent."
In the win earlier this season against the Mocs, Keesling and Jahelka combined for 11 of the Panthers 16 goals and 14 of its 21 points as Keesling has six goals and two assists, while Jahelka added five goals and seven points in the victory.
The Panthers offense, though, will be tested by one of the top defenses in Division II women's lacrosse on Saturday as the Mocs come into the contest second nationally in caused turnovers per game (13.50) and are eighth nationally in scoring defense as they are allowing just 7.29 goals per game and have held 10 of its 21 opponents to six or fewer goals and have allowed just six foes to score double-digit goals.
FSC's defense is anchored by senior All-Americans Gabby Barowski (Alexandria, Va.) and Rachael Griffith (Ellicott City, Md.).
Barowski, who was named a repeat IWLCA First-Team All-American on Thursday, leads the SSC in ground balls with 58 and is third in the SSC in caused turnovers with 33. Barowski enters Saturday's national title game second among active Division II players in caused turnovers with 119 and is 15th among active Division II players in ground balls with 156, while Griffith, who was named a Third-Team IWLCA All-American on Thursday, leads the team and is second in the SSC in caused turnovers with 38 and is third on the team in ground balls with 34.
In goal, junior Taylor Gillis has helped solidify the Moccasin defense as the All-SSC performer is sixth nationally in goals against average (6.84) and has posted a 12-2 record. In addition, she is second in the SSC in save percentage (46.8 percent) and averages nearly five saves per game. Along with Gillis, sophomore Paige Brodbeck (Millersville, Md.) is 6-1 on the season and has a 48.1 save percentage and an 8.22 goals against average on the year.
One the biggest strengths for the Panthers is their play on the draw control as they have picked up 271 draw controls on the year and have three players that have each recorded at least 60 draw controls, led by junior defender Ryley Weber, who has had 61 draw controls on the year. In addition to Weber, sophomore midfielder Michelle Scannell and senior defender Camille Rosellini have each recorded 60 draw controls.
In the win earlier this season over the Mocs, Adelphi won the battle of draw controls, 19-8, as Scannell picked up nine of her team's 19 draw controls in the win.
Reber thinks that one of the biggest keys in Saturday's game will be the draw control.
"The draw controls tomorrow are going to be a huge difference maker in the game," the fifth-year Moccasin coach said.
While the Moccasin defense is one of the best in the country, so too, is Adelphi's as the Panthers are 22nd nationally in caused turnovers per game (9.76), but are first nationally in both scoring defense (4.10 goals per game) and scoring margin (10.57). In addition, the Panthers are averaging 15.48 ground balls per game.
Another key defender for the Panthers is senior goalkeeper Rachel Hayes as she is fifth nationally in save percentage (52.1 percent) and leads Division II in goals-against-average (4.17). On the season, Hayes has allowed just 78 goals in 21 games and has recorded 85 saves.
Adelphi's defense, which is paced by 38 caused turnovers and 37 ground balls from Weber, will look to stop an Moccasin offensive attack that is averaging 13.57 goals per game and has had six players score 20 or more goals on the year.
Leading the way for the Moccasin offense is junior attacker Kendall Kerge (Edgewater, Md.), who leads the team in both goals scored (54) and shots (114). As a team, the Mocs are in the Top 20 nationally in points per game (21.30), goals per game (13.57), assists per game (7.80) and scoring margin (6.40).
In addition to Kerge's 54 goals and 114 shots, the other key performers on offense for the Mocs this season are sophomore attacker Meghan O'Brien (Rochester, N.Y.), sophomore midfielder Emily Santoli (Fort Salonga, N.Y.) and senior attacker Ashley Robertson (Ellicott City, Md.).
O'Brien, who was named a First-Team IWLCA All-American on Thursday, leads the team in assists (37) and points (68), while Santoli, who was also named a First-Team IWLCA All-American on Thursday, is second in points (66) and third in goals (34) and second in assists (32) and Robertson, who was a First-Team All-SSC honoree and a Third-Team IWLCA All-South Region selection, is second on the squad in goals with 43 and has totaled 53 points and is one of just five Mocs to record 100 or more career goals as she enters Saturday's game having scored 117 career goals.
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME NOTES: Florida Southern is seeking to become the first team not from Pennsylvania, New York or Massachusetts to win a Division II women's lacrosse national title... In fact, FSC is just the fourth school to play for the national title not from the Northeast as the last time a team not from the Northeast was in the championship game was in 2013 as Limestone lost 10-7 to LIU Post... Adelphi has won a Division II best seven women's lacrosse national championships and is a perfect 7-for-7 all-time in national title games... In addition to Adelphi, the other Division II team that have won national titles in women's lacrosse are LIU Post (4), Stonehill (2) and West Chester (2)... Adelphi is seeking to become just the sixth team to finish a season undefeated and the first since the Panthers went 22-0 to complete its 2014 national championship campaign... Florida Southern is the seventh different team to play in a national championship game... Florida Southern is looking to win the school's 29th all-time team national championship and first since the men's basketball team brought the national title in 2014-15... Adelphi is looking to its second three-peat as they also won three straight national titles from 2009-11... Both Adelphi and Florida Southern come into the game having long winning streaks as Adelphi has won 28 straight games and FSC has won 13 consecutive games... Florida Southern is the first team from the state of Florida to play for national title in women's lacrosse... FSC and Adelphi have a combined 39 wins this season heading into Saturday's game.
