WILKES-BARRE – The No. 3 seeded Wilkes University field hockey team is set to travel to Center Valley, Pa. to take on No. 2 seed DeSales University in the semifinal round of the Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom) Tournament later today at 5:00 p.m.

Ticket prices set by the MAC office are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $2 for students (with ID), and free for children under six years of age.

The DeSales Sports Information department will provide live stats and video links for fans that are unable to attend the game.

Live Stats

Live Video

The matchup marks the first time the two teams will meet in the conference tournament since the 2013 season when the Colonels defeated the Bulldogs 6-2 in the semifinal round. Earlier this season in Center Valley, DeSales defeated Wilkes 3-1 on October 20th.

This season marks the sixth consecutive year that Wilkes has made the conference tournament. The Colonels earned the No. 3 seed with a 4-3 record in MAC Freedom games and are 8-9 overall.

The Colonels are led by four-time First Team All-MAC Freedom selection Haley Gayoski (Forty Fort, PA/Wyoming Valley West). The senior led Wilkes and was tied for ninth in the conference with 19 points. She has scored seven goals and assisted five times. Freshman Lauren Shiplett (Mountaintop, PA/Crestwood) also earned First Team All-MAC Freedom honors and became the third Colonel in the past five years to win conference Rookie of the Year honors. She ranked second on the team with 17 points on the strength of six goals and five assists. Amber Grohowski (Nanticoke, PA/Nanticoke) was selected Honorable Mention All-MAC Freedom after the junior midfielder started all 17 games and played 1,195 minutes to lead the Colonels this season. She recorded a career high six points on two goals and two assists.

Zoe Stepanski (Dallas, PA/Dallas) is tied for second in the conference with eight assists this year while Lauren Baldwin (Clarks Summit, PA/Lackawanna Trail) and Ali Dunn (Pittston, PA/Pittston) have each scored six goals. Dallas Kendra (Mountaintop, PA/Crestwood) ranks fourth in the conference with 103 saves and is third in Wilkes program history with 10 career shutouts. She has a 2.322 goals-against-average and a .720 save percentage this year.

DeSales enters the home semifinal game after earning the No. 2 seed with a 6-1 conference record under the direction of Lindsay Goeller, the MAC Freedom Coach of the Year. The Bulldogs are 10-7 overall.

Christie Hansen was named the MAC Freedom Offensive Player of the Year and First Team all-conference after a 30 point season on nine goals and 12 assists. Madison Brader joined Hansen on the First Team. Kylie Honnick-Payne, Alexa Rhodunda, Olivia Witmer and Katarina Polyviou were all Second Team All-MAC Freedom choices.

Polyviou has made 62 saves this season with a 1.280 goals-against-average and a .741 save percentage.

The winner of the matchup will advance to take on the winner of the other conference semifinal between No. 1 seed FDU-Florham and No. 4 seed Eastern on Saturday at the highest remaining seed.