Women’s Soccer Kicks Off PSUAC Tournament Saturday

MEDIA, Pa. -- Penn State Brandywine will be the top seed in the Penn State University Athletic Conference Tournament when it begins Saturday with the semifinal round.

The Lions (12-1), who enter the game with an 11-match winning streak, will host No. 4 Penn State Mont Alto at 1:00 pm on Saturday afternoon at Maple Zone.

Brandywine swept the two-game season series from Mont Alto, winning by scores of 5-0 and 5-1, and is undefeated in four meetings with Mont Alto over the last two seasons. Samantha Bearden (Ewing, N.J./Ewing) scored one goal and added three assists in the teams' most recent matchup on October 12, while Rachel Weir (Neptune City, N.J./Red Bank Regional) netted a pair of goals during Brandywine's 5-0 home victory in September.

The Lions rolled through PSUAC play, winning all 10 matches by a combined margin of 60-4. Just one of those 10 victories came by fewer than four goals as Brandywine won the conference's regular-season title for the second-straight year.

Freshmen have accounted for 78 percent of Brandywine's scoring this fall with Brianna Banks' (Philadelphia, Pa./Parkway Center) 26 goals leading the way. The conference leader in scoring, Banks has found the back of the net at least once in all 12 games. Weir and Brooke Muhlbaier (Millville, N.J./Millville) tied for second on the team in scoring with 25 points each. Weir is second on the team with 10 goals, while Muhlbaier's nine assists matched Banks for the team lead.

Defensively, Brandywine surrendered the fewest goals in league (9). Freshman goalkeeper Emily Bush (Bayville, N.J./Central Regional) played every minute of every game in net and tied for the national lead with seven shutouts.

No. 2 Schuylkill and No. 3 Beaver will square off in Saturday's other semifinal match. The winners of each semifinal will advance to the PSUAC championship game on Wednesday, Nov. 2 at University Park. Brandywine was upset by Beaver in penalty kicks last season in the inaugural PSUAC Women's Soccer Championship.

Fans can follow Saturday's semifinal live online at www.psubrandywineathletics.com.