COLLEGEVILLE, PA - The 4th ranked Ursinus College field hockey team was able to power past the University of Rochester 5-0 in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division III Tournament on Sunday afternoon at Eleanor Frost Snell Alumni Field.
 
The win allows the host Bears (19-3), the 2006 NCAA Division III champions, to earn their seventh national semifinal appearance in field hockey history.  The loss ends Rochester's season at 18-6, the same record that the 2012 squad had in the team's only other NCAA postseason appearance, also making the quarterfinals that year.
 
"Ursinus has a great team," said Rochester Head Coach Wendy Andreatta. "This isn't the way we wanted the season to end but I am proud of the way the girls played tough throughout the game."
 
The Bears were able to mount plenty of pressure early on generating three excellent chances in the 6th minute off their first penalty corner of the game.  Two of the shots were kicked away by Rochester goalkeeper Tara Lamberti.  In the contest, the senior All-American made a career high tying 17 saves for the Yellowjackets.
 
Ursinus, winners of eight straight, then opened the scoring when Amber Steigerwalt slapped in a rebounded shot by Kelsey Reed at 12:49.
 
Over a 10 minute span late in the period, the Bears were able to scored three goals, increasing the lead to 4-0 over the 20th ranked Yellowjackets.
 
Bears leading scorer Megan Keenan scored on a give and go goal in the circle from teammate Stephanie Cooper for the 2nd goal at 20:57.
 
In the 25th minute, Devin Brakel made it 3-0 with a tip in at the left post off a cross pass from Steigerwalt.  Kennan then completed the first half scoring at 30:21 when she blasted a low penalty corner shot that found the wood work.  Reed and Danielle Stong picked up assists on the play.
 
The second half saw the Bears only muster one goal, coming from Colleen Leahy in the 53rd minute of the contest.  Leahy tipped a shot into the upper part of the cage off a penalty corner shot from Reed.
 

UR's first legitimate attack chance came 90 seconds later when the Yellowjackets earned their only penalty corner of the game leading to two Michelle Relin shots that were blocked away.
 
Entering the contest, it was a clash of one of the top scoring offenses in the country in Ursinus against the strong defensive unit of the Yellowjackets.  Ursinus came into the day 2nd in NCAA Division III in penalty corners, 3rd in assists and 4th in scoring and goals per game.  Rochester was 2nd in the country in save percentage, 6th in goals against average and 8th in shutouts per game.
 
In the end of the day it was the stifling Ursinus back line that didn't allow any Yellowjacket penetration into the offensive zone.  Rochester as a team was held to only two shots in the contest, their lowest in a game this season.  Over two games so far in the NCAA tournament, Ursinus won by a combined score of 15-0 and outshot opponents 61-3.
 
The Bears will move on to the NCAA Division III semifinals to take on top ranked Bowdoin College next weekend on the campus of Washington & Lee in Lexington, VA.  The other semifinal will pit #2 TCNJ against #3 Middlebury.
 
Following the game, Andreatta stated "I am proud the senior class for all they accomplished, they really left a legacy and showed everyone where we want to go as a program in the future."