WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Locked in a three-way tie for the sixth and final spot in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) postseason tournament, the Mansfield University field hockey team's goal of making the dance comes down to the final day of the 2021 regular season.

The Mounties (9-8, 4-5 PSAC) travel to West Chester University on Saturday, Oct. 30 for a PSAC game scheduled for 1 p.m. The Mounties are in a three-way tie for the sixth and final PSAC Championship postseason berth, and can make the tournament, win or lose, with a multitude of scenarios (listed below).

The Mounties, Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Slippery Rock University are all 4-5 with conference victories over each other.

Slippery Rock travels to No. 1 Shippensburg University for a 1 p.m. start and IUP hosts No. 6 Kutztown University at 1 p.m. on Saturday.

PSAC CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT TIEBREAKERS
IF KUTZ, IUP and MANS at 5-5

- All three 1-1 vs. each other
--- MANS advances to 5 seed (H/H win over WC)
----- IUP is 6 seed with H/H win over KUTZ (Kutz eliminated)

IF (ONLY) SR and MANS at 5-5
- SR advances with H/H win over MANS

IF MANS, SR and IUP at 4-6

Tiebreakers
a. Head-to-head competition in the mandated schedule among the tied teams.
IUP vs. MU/SRU, 1-1
MU vs. IUP/SRU, 1-1
SRU vs. MU/IUP, 1-1

b. Record against PSAC opponents not involved in the tie, working from highest to lowest ranked in the established standings
IUP vs. Top of standings, 0-5
MU vs. Top of standings, 0-5
SRU vs. Top of standings, 0-5

c. Weighted wins against PSAC opponents in the mandated schedule, giving the following descending credit for: regulation time wins (4 pts.); 1st overtime wins (3 pts.); 2nd overtime wins (2 pts.); shoot-out wins (1 pt.)
No team in either of their four wins went into overtime. 

d. Weighted wins between tied teams
No team in their wins against each other went into overtime

e. Road wins in PSAC mandated schedule
MU, 2-3 in road PSAC games
IUP, 1-4 in road PSAC games
SRU, 1-4 in road PSAC games

Mansfield advances
 
MEET THE GOLDEN RAMS
Record: 12-3, 6-2 PSAC
Last Five: 4-1
Last Time Out: W, 3-2 at Kutztown
At Home: 4-2
All Time vs. MU: 11-0
Head Coach: Amy Cohen (12^th season, Lafayette '02)
 
The reigning 2019 NCAA DII Field Hockey National Champions, the Golden Rams have picked up right where they left off during their 20-1 campaign two seasons ago.

The Rams are No. 2 in the DII national poll with a 12-3 overall and 6-2 mark in the PSAC this season. The two blemishes on the Golden Bears record came at the hands of No. 4 East Stroudsburg, 1-0 on Oct. 19 and 4-0 at No. 1 Shippensburg on Oct. 5.
The loss to ESU moved WCU into third in the PSAC, where they are set to host a Championship quarterfinal game on Tuesday.

West Chester's Valerie van Kuijck is third in the conference in goals with 14, despite ranking 10^th in shots. She adds five assists for a total of 33 points (third in PSAC).

Claire Nielsen has started all 15 games in cage for the Golden Bears, totaling 31 saves, five total shutouts (four solo) and 12 wins in 877:36 minutes. Catie McNamara is tied for third in the PSAC with three defensive saves.

The Mounties hosted the Golden Rams in Mansfield earlier this season, falling 2-0.

The Mounties are seeking their first win against West Chester in the all-time series.

ON THIS DATE
10/29/2017: FEATURE: Mansfield Field Hockey By The Numbers

Under the direction of third-year head coach Brittany Hansrote, Mansfield University field hockey won the most games since the 2007 season with eight. Let's take a closer look at the numbers from the 2017 season.

The Mountaineers knocked off a pair of nationally ranked programs with a 1-0 overtime win at No. 7 Bloomsburg then a 4-0 rout of No. 5 Slippery Rock. The last time Mansfield beat two top 10 teams in the same season was in 2013. The four goals against The Rock were the most since a 4-3 overtime win at Seton Hill in 2014 and the biggest margin of victory since a 7-2 win against Mercyhurst in 2012.

Mansfield's 25 goals on the season were the most since 2013, the 254 shots are the most since 2010, and the 25 goals allowed are the least since 1995 when the Mounties played three less games. It was the first time since 2007 that Mansfield recorded an equal or greater amount of goals as opponents with an even 25-25.

NEXT UP
Tomorrow's contest concludes the Mountaineers 2021 regular season. The postseason bracket and participants will be announced on Sunday.