RICHMOND, Va. – The Lock Haven University field hockey team continued to roll today as the Lady Eagles blanked host Virginia Commonwealth, 2-0 for Lock Haven's fifth straight victory, and fourth consecutive shutout.
 
Lock Haven moves to 12-5 overall and the Lady Eagles are now 6-1 in Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) play. LHU is now tied atop the A-10 standings with UMass (6-1).
 
Both of Lock Haven's goals came in the second half today, as LHU outshot VCU (4-12, 1-6 A-10) 12-4.
 
Nakira Downes' (Bridgetown, Barbados/The Combermere School) team-high eighth goal of the season put LHU up 1-0 less than 10 minutes into the second half. Downes now has 22 points (8G & 6A) for LHU.
 
Less than six minutes later, Rachel Valentine (Souderton, Pa./Souderton) scored off a pass from rookie Devyn Barry (Middletown, Pa./Lower Dauphin). It was the seventh goal of the season for Valentine, who has produced a strong scoring touch as of late for Lady Eagles.
 
LHU goalkeeper Elaina White (Etters, Pa./Red Land) made two saves on the way to the clean sheet.
 
The Lady Eagles got another strong defensive effort from and Steph Ebersole (Elizabethtown, Pa./Lower Dauphin), Jenna Felice (Endicott, N.Y./Maine Endwell), Stephanie Whiteman (Trincity, Trinidad and Tobago/Bishop Anstey East) and Rebekah Hershey (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton).
 
The shutout, Lock Haven's fourth straight gives LHU a total of six on the season. Last season, the Lady Eagles led all NCAA Division I teams in shutouts per game and their six this season ties them for the third-most among all DI squads.
 
LHU has outscored its opponents, 11-1 over the last five matches - all wins.
 
The Lady Eagles have two regular season contests remaining. LHU hosts Saint Francis (Pa.) in a pivotal A-10 match on Saturday, November 1 at 1 p.m. Lock Haven then, will close out the regular season on Sunday, November 2 at 1 p.m. at Bucknell in non-conference action.
 
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