LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Lock Haven University field hockey team is set to make its second consecutive Atlantic 10 Conference (A-10) Tournament appearance.
 
The fourth-seeded Lady Eagles will take on top-seed Massachusetts – the two-time defending A-10 Tournament champions in the second of two semifinal matches on Friday (2 p.m.). The 2014 A-10 Tournament will be held at Crenshaw Field on the campus of the University of Richmond (Friday & Saturday, November 7-8).
 
Lock Haven earned the No. 4 seed by way of its 6-2 finish in A-10 conference play during the regular season. UMass was 7-1 in A-10 play and beat Lock Haven, 3-0 on October 3. Richmond is the No 2 seed, while Saint Francis (Pa.) is the three-seed.
 
The schedule:
Friday, November 7
Game 1: #2 Richmond vs. #3 Saint Francis 11 a.m.
Game 2: #1 Massachusetts vs. #4 Lock Haven 2 p.m.
Saturday, November 8
Game 3 (CHAMPIONSHIP): Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner 2 p.m.
 
How the Lady Eagles got here:
Lock Haven finished the regular season at 12-7 overall. On the way to their 12 wins, the Lady Eagles recorded six shutouts and outscored opponents 43-26 (+17).
 
Last time vs. UMass:
During the regular season, UMass beat Lock Haven 3-0 in Amherst, Massachusetts. UMass scored all three goals in the first half on the way to the win.
 
A-10 Tournament history:
Friday's semifinal-match marks Lock Haven's second consecutive A-10 Tournament appearance and third overall. Lock Haven also played in the 2010 conference tournament, advancing to the title game. LHU is 1-2 all-time in A-10 Tournament play.
 
2013 vs. Richmond (semifinal) L, 4-0
2010 vs. Richmond (semifinal) W, 4-2
2010 vs. UMass (championship) L, 2-0
 
Last time in A-10 semifinal:
Last year, Lock Haven lost to Richmond 4-0 in the semifinals of the A-10 Tournament (Nov. 8, 2013).
 
Downes leads the way:
Nakira Downes paces Lock Haven's attack with a team-high nine goals, team-high six assists and team-best 24 points. She has three game-winning strikes. Her 24 points are fifth-most in the A-10 and her 1.33 points per game are sixth-best in the league.
 
White strong in cage:
Goalkeeper Elaina White has been strong all season for Lock Haven. She has 74 saves and owns a 1.35 goals-against average, and .747 save percentage. White has four shutouts.
 
Shutdown defense:
The Lady Eagles have six shutouts on the year, the fourth-most among all NCAA Division I teams. Last season, Lock Haven lead all of Division I in shutouts per game. LHU's defense is led by Jenna Felice, Steph Ebersole, Stephanie Whiteman and Rebekah Hershey.
 
Spread the wealth:
Nine different players account for Lock Haven's 43 goals and five Lady Eagles have scored five or more goals on the season including Downes (9), Rachel Valentine (7), Lydia George (6), Megan Wenrich (6) and Taylor Kennedy (5).