The Misericordia University women's soccer team will open the 2017 MAC Freedom Tournament when the Cougars host DeSales, Tuesday at 7:00 at Mangelsdorf Field.
 
The defending MAC Freedom champions, Misericordia is seeded second after finishing 12-4-2 overall and 5-2 in the MAC Freedom during the regular season.  DeSales is the third seed at 11-6 overall and 5-2 in the MAC Freedom.  Misericordia won the regular season meeting with DeSales, 4-0, earlier this month.
 
Top-seeded Wilkes will host fourth-seeded Eastern in the other semifinal with the winners to meet Saturday in the championship match.
 
Admission for MAC Freedom championships is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $2 for students.  Children under six-years-old are admitted free.  Pets are prohibited at Misericordia University athletics facilities.
 
Senior Jackie Stevens (8g, 2a) leads the Cougars in scoring with 18 points while classmate Alex Gallagher (6g, 3a) adds 15 points.
 
Ashley Edgell (4g, 3a) adds 11 points and Amber Hartranft and Devyn Anderson both have nine points on four goals and an assist.
 
Senior goalkeeper Alyssa Pojero has four shutouts and a 0.66 goals against average for the Cougars.
 
Misericordia is making its ninth consecutive MAC Freedom Tournament appearance and has won four MAC Freedom titles (2012, 2013, 2014, 2016).  MU is 2-0 against DeSales in the post-season, including the 2014 and 2016 MAC Freedom championship games.
 
DeSales is making its fourth consecutive post-season appearance.  The Bulldogs won the MAC Freedom title in 2015.
 
DeSales is led in scoring by Angelica Bertola's 56 points on 25 goals and six assists.  Rachel Medlar has 25 points (5g, 15a) and Sophie Goad (7g, 1a) adds 15 points.  Sydney Amato (5g, 2a) has 12 points.
 
Lia Gaccione (7-2) has a 1.02 goals against average while Haley Jacobs (4-4) has a 1.66 GAA.
 
DeSales led the MAC Freedom with 3.24 goals per game while Misericordia was third with 2.06.  The Cougars were second with 0.67 goals allowed and DeSales was fourth at 1.29.
 
Bertola and Medlar were first and second in the league in scoring while MU's Stevens was fourth and Gallagher was seventh.
 
Pojero led the league in save % (83.3) and was second in goals against average.  Gaccione was fourth in the league in GAA.