Stephanie Boccuzzi	Devon Cohen	Megan Azzalini
Lisa-Marie Lanciotti	Nichole Mahaffey	Emily Walsh

Box Score
Photo Gallery (courtesy of Dan Ceccacci)

SCRANTON, Pa.—Sophomore Emily Walsh (Scranton, Pa./Scranton Preparatory) overcame deficits in each of her matches today to lead The University of Scranton to its third straight Landmark Conference title, a 5-3 victory Catholic University at the Royal Courts.

The win was the sixth straight and the 10th in the last 11 matches for the Royals, now 11-6 under first-year head coach Janice Winslow.  Scranton will now receive an automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Division III championships.

Walsh, who has named the tournament’s most valuable player (MVP), and senior partner Devon Cohen (Ambler, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) overcame 3-0 and 4-1 deficits to pull out an 8-5 win at the number two doubles.

Walsh then won eight straight games to overcame a 5-2 deficit in the first set in her singles match against Cardinal freshman Laura Torsiello (Bayport, NY) to pick up another point at the number three singles, 7-5, 6-2, which gave Scranton a 4-3 lead before teammate Nicole Mahaffey (Harrisburg, Pa./Trinity) closed it out moments later with a come-from-behind 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over Caitlin Porter at the number five singles.

With today’s win in singles, Walsh is now 13-0 on the season and 24-5 in her career, while Mahaffey won her sixth straight match and ninth in her last 10 to move to 12-1 on the year and 29-13 in her career.

The Cardinals, now 13-5, got out of the gates quickly, building up leads in all three doubles matches and held on to win two of them to take a 2-1 lead.  

Senior Elizabeth Harvey (Brightwaters, NY) and Torsiello led 3-0 and 6-1 en route to an 8-2 win over senior Stephanie Boccuzzi (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East) and Mahaffey at one and senior Andie Ingram (Dale, Texas) and Isabel Tanco (South Irving, Texas) jumped out to a 4-1 lead and held on for an 8-5 victory over junior Megan Azzalina (Easton, Pa./Notre Dame) andLisa-Marie Lanciotti (Northport, Kings Park).  Azzalina and Lanciotti did manage to cut the lead to 6-5 before Ingram and Tanco steadied the ship.

Catholic struck first in singles, as Harvey posted a 6-4, 6-0 victory at one over Bocuzzi to give the Cardinals a 3-1 lead.

Lanciotti sliced the Cardinal lead to one with a straight-set 6-1, 6-4 win over Emma Needham (Wenham, Mass.) at six and Cohen tied it up with a 6-3, 7-6 (9-7) win at two.  Cohen overcame a 5-4 deficit in the second set to pick up her ninth win of the season and the 30th of her career.  Lanciotti’s win improved her season record to 11-4 and 19-6 in her career.

The results of today’s match are as follows:

Scranton 5, Catholic University 3

Doubles
1. Elizabeth Harvey/Laura Torsiello (C) def. Stephanie Boccuzzi/Nicole Mahaffey, 8-2
2. Devon Cohen/Emily Walsh (S) def. Eliana Martinez/Elaina Sceusa, 8-5
3. Andie Ingram/Isabel Tanco (C) def. Megan Azzalina/Lisa-Marie Lanciotti, 8-5

Singles  
1. Elizabeth Harvey (C) def. Stephanie Boccuzzi, 6-4, 6-0
2. Devon Cohen (S) def. Elaina Sceusa, 6-3, 7-6 (9-7)
3. Emily Walsh (S) def. Laura Torsiello, 7-5, 6-2
4. Megan Azzalina (S) vs. Eliana Martinez, 4-6, 6-3, unfinished
5. Nicole Mahaffey (S) def. Caitlin Porter, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
6. Lisa-Marie Lanciotti (S) def. Emma Needham, 6-1, 6-4

Match Notes:
Catholic University 13-6
University of Scranton 11-6
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (1,6,2,3,5)

Scranton wins third straight Landmark title and advances to
NCAA Division III tournament; Soph. Emily Walsh is named MVP
Official: Hanzes & Imdorf  T-3:00  A-150 

--ROYALS--