AMCC

#1 PENN ST. BEHREND AND #2 PITT-GREENSBURG TO CLASH IN WOMEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP

#1 PENN ST. BEHREND AND #2 PITT-GREENSBURG TO CLASH IN WOMEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP

Top-seeded Penn State Behrend and second-seeded Pitt-Greensburg each picked up semifinal victories to advance to the AMCC Women's Soccer Championship Game. #1 Penn State Behrend defeated #4 Penn State Altoona 6-0, while #2 Pitt-Greensburg got the 2-0 win over  #3 Mount Aloysius.

Penn State Behrend 6, Penn State Altoona 0
The Lions punched their ticket to the AMCC Championship game with their ninth straight shutout of the season. Mia Zec was one of five players who got on the scoreboard, netting back-to-back goals in the first half. Trinity Prestash added a goal and an assist to take the team lead in goals (13) and points (30). It took 13 minutes and 50 seconds for Angelina Hofrichter to net the first goal of the game and her first goal of the season. Hofrichter knocked in the goal amongst a scramble in the box for a 1-0 lead before assisting Prestash in the 25th minute. Hofrichter played a long ball from midfield, finding Prestash charging the goal and finishing the ball low into the corner. Zec helped Behrend take a 4-0 lead into halftime with a pair of goals, the first a header goal off a corner kick and then a long shot from beyond the 18. The Lions tallied two goals in the second half less than five minutes apart for the final margin. Payton Porter converted a penalty kick and Bella Sestito knocked in her sixth goal of the season. Sestito flicked in a pass from Emily Moorey and Kristi Buckenheimer to make it 6-0. Junior goalie Morgan Harding did not have to make a save for her 10th win of the season. 

Pitt-Greensburg 2, Mount Aloysius 0
Pitt-Greensburg  used two early goals in the opening 12 minutes of play and another strong defensive performance to get the playoff win. Ashley Lucas opened the scoring in the third minute with a one-timer to the back of the net off an assist pass from Tiffany Michalek. Becca Kubler got the play going when she fielded a pass at mid-field and then dropped in a perfect ball to Michalek racing down the right side of the field past the Mountie defense. Michalek kicked Kubler's pass in stride to Lucas, who one-timed it from five yards out, past the late to recover Mount Aloysius goalkeeper. Lucas returned the favor to Michalek in the 12th minute, giving Pitt-Greensburg a 2-0. Michalek stole the ball from the Mount Aloysius defender and then ran a give and go style action with Lucas, who set her up to fire in her 22nd goal of the season to the top right of the goal. The Bobcat defense did not allow a shot on goal all game, and only let the Mounties get off six shot attempts.

Penn State Behrend and Pitt-Greensburg will now square off for the gold on Saturday, in a rematch of the 2019 AMCC Championship. Kickoff for the title match is slated for 2 pm at Penn State Behrend.