Article Courtesy of Sports Information Intern, Vin Rinella

The No. 3 seeded University of Scranton field hockey team has earned the right to play in Saturday's Landmark Conference Championship game after their 4-0 semifinal victory at No. 2 seeded Catholic University on Wednesday night. The Royals will go on the road to face top seeded Susquehanna Univeristy on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 PM. 

Championship Game Info

• The championship game will take place on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 2:00 PM at Sassafras Field in Selinsgrove, PA. 
• Tickets: $10 for adults (18+), $5 for minors (10-17), free for children 9 and under, and Landmark students and faculty with ID. Cash will not be accepted at the venue. Click here to purchase tickets.

Scranton

• Record: 18-3 (7-2, LC)
• Last championship: 2021
• The Royals defeated Drew University 5-2 in the first round and earned a 4-0 win against Catholic in the semifinals. 
• Scranton leads the Landmark in both goals per game (3.38) and goals against average (.90), a feat they have achieved in back-to-back seasons. 
• Head coach Colleen Moyer is in her 20th season at the helm of Scranton. She has led her Royals to their seventh Landmark Conference Championship appearance, and is looking for her third career championship victory.

• Graduate student Katie Redding currently leads the Landmark Conference in goals (16) and points (42), and is tied for second in assists (10). Redding has tallied three goals and one assist in the two playoff games this season.
• Bridget Abraldes is second in the nation and leads the Landmark with her 15 assists in her graduate student season. She has also recorded 10 goals and is second in the conference with 35 points. Abraldes has tallied one goal in the two playoff games this season.

Susquehanna

• Record: 14-5 (9-0, LC)
• Last championship: 2023
• Susquehanna advanced to the championship after defeating No. 4 seed Moravian on Wednesday night, 2-0. 
• The reigning champion River Hawks earned the No. 1 seed for the second season in a row in 2024. They are second in goals per game (2.63) and in goals against average (1.05), trailing Scranton in both categories.
• Head coach Allison Fordyce is in her seventh season at the helm of Susquehanna. Her River Hawks team is looking for their third Landmark Conference title under her leadership and their second in as many seasons.

• Senior Kari Schmidt is the reigning Landmark Defensive Player of the Year and leads Susquehanna with 25 points on the season on nine goals and seven assists. She ranks in the top 10 in the Landmark in goals, assists, points and game-winning goals.
• Sophia Prata is tied for the team lead with nine goals in 2024. The senior has recorded 20 points on those nine goals with two assists.

Championship Rivalry

• The championship history between these two teams dates back to 2018 when the No. 3 seeded Susquehanna won their first Landmark title in program history after beating the No. 4 seeded Scranton 2-0 in Selinsgrove, PA.
• In 2019, the No. 1 seeded Royals returned the favor, defeating the No. 3 seeded River hawks 4-1 in Scranton.
• In 2023, the River Hawks bested the Royals in a thrilling contest that saw Susquehanna win its second ever Landmark Title in a shootout victory in Selinsgrove, PA. 

Inside the Series

• Scranton leads the all-time series 26-20-2. The Royals are 9-8 against the River Hawks since 2010
• Susquehanna has won three straight games against Scranton, a streak that began last season.
• Earlier this season, the River Hawks defeated the Royals 2-1. Kari Schmidt scored two goals in the first quarter for Susquehanna as they held a 2-0 advantage through three quarters. Scranton's lone goal came in the fourth quarter from junior Annie Shaw.  
• The Royals last win against Susquehanna came in the regular season of 2022, a 2-0 win for Scranton.