Box Score

Edinboro, Pa. – The Mercyhurst women's soccer team earned a berth in the PSAC Tournament with a 2-0 victory at Edinboro Saturday, Oct. 24. Taylor Hilinski notched two goals for the Lakers, while keeper Rachel Griepsma made five saves for the shutout.

Mercyhurst improves to 11-5-1, 8-3-1 in PSAC West play. The team has qualified for the conference tournament for the third year in a row. Additionally, the Lakers are in a three-way tie atop PSAC West standings with California (Pa.) and Indiana (Pa.).

Edinboro has been mathematically eliminated from postseason contention, falling to 6-6-5 on the season, and 4-5-3 in divisional games. The Lakers avenged a 2-0 loss at the hands of the Fighting Scots Sept. 16.

The game got off to a quick start for the Lakers, as they took a 1-0 lead just 2:13 into regulation. Jamie Schroter launched a free kick from 40 yards which hit the crossbar before rebounding to the pitch. Taylor Hilinski headed the ball inside the far post for her 12th goal of the season.

Holding a 1-0 lead, the Lakers played solid team defense, and sophomore Megan Macko man-marked top Edinboro striker Rachel Dahlstrand, denying time and space. Edinboro managed to attempt eight shots during the first half, and two on goal. Rachel Griepsma made two saves during the opening session to maintain the one-goal lead, and Mercyhurst held a 1-0 edge after 45 minutes.

Edinboro applied pressure during the second half in search of the tying goal, but the Laker defense allowed few clear chances. Griepsma made three saves during the second half, including two while protecting a one-goal lead. Mercyhurst added an insurance goal in the 59th minute when Schroter sent a long ball that Danielle Braun took in stride, racing down the right side alone on goal. Jessica Morgan came out of the net to stop Braun's shot, but Hilinski settled the rebound, shooting it into the vacated net for a 2-0 lead.

The Fighting Scots attempted just one shot on goal the rest of the way, as the Lakers controlled play, keeping the ball in Edinboro's half for much of the final 25 minutes in the 2-0 victory.

For the match, Edinboro outshot Mercyhurst 13-7, including 5-4 in shots on target. 

Griepsma made five saves for her fourth clean sheet of the season. Jessica Morgan stopped four shots in 68:13 of action, while Amber McLaughlin played in goal in relief of Morgan.

Hilinski's two-goal game was the 11th multiple-goal game of her career, and third this season. She is now sixth all-time at Mercyhurst with 42 career goals, and seventh with 95 points. She has scored at least one goal in each of the last five games, scoring seven times during that span. Her five-game goal streak is the longest since Sarah Powell struck in seven straight games to open the 2007 season. 

Griepsma has recorded shutouts in each of the last two games, the first back-to-back Laker clean sheets since Rebecca Heintzman shut out Slippery Rock and West Chester during the NCAA tournament in 2008.

Schroter has passed Veronica Sansom into third place in program history with 30 assists, and is two shy of Lisa Casement for second. Braun leads the team with eight assists this season, and she has posted three goals and five assists (11 points) in the last six contests.

The Lakers will play host to Slippery Rock Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 4 p.m. in their final regular-season home game of the season. Mercyhurst defeated The Rock 2-1 in their first meeting this season, Sept. 23 at Slippery Rock.