The Misericordia University women's soccer team will make its eighth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance when the Cougars take on Rowan, Saturday evening at Johns Hopkins University.

Misericordia, 15-2-1, is playing in its 13^th NCAA Tournament after winning its third straight MAC Freedom title.

2018 NCAA Women's Soccer Bracket

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The Cougars will play their first round game at 7:30 p.m. while Johns Hopkins will face Cabrini at 5:00 p.m.  The winners will meet Sunday at 6:00 p.m. for the right to advance to the Sweet 16.

MU advanced to the second round of the NCAA's a year ago and reached the Sweet 16 in 2013 and 2014.  Misericordia advanced to the Final Four in 2012.

Admission is be $6 for adults; $3 for senior citizens, youth (aged 3-12) and students from participating schools (with student IDs). Children ages two and younger will be admitted free of charge. Gates will open one hour prior to start time on both days.

MU played one of the toughest schedules in the nation and was 3-2 against teams in the NCAA Tournament, including wins over Susquehanna, William Smith and RIT.  The Cougars dropped tough 1-0 decisions to Messiah and Arcadia.

The Misericordia line-up features 10 All-MAC Freedom players, including Offensive Player of the Year Hannah Larkin and three-time Defensive Player of the Year Kristen Ritter.  Rookie of the Year Kaylee Sturans and Coach of the Year Mark Stauffer made it a clean sweep of the MAC Freedom awards for MU.

Larkin, a senior midfielder, is second on the team in scoring with 21 points on eight goals and five assists.

She is joined in the midfield by a pair of first year players in Kendall Pearage and Michaela Fasolino, both second-team All-MAC Freedom selections.  Pearage has 16 points on five goals and a team-high six assists while Fasolino has three goals and four assists.

First-team All-MAC Freedom selections Jeanna Orfanos and Ashley Edgell pace the MU attack at forward.    Orfanos leads the team in with 23 points on nine goals and five assists while Edgell 18 points on seven goals and four assists.

Ritter anchors a defense that allowed just nine goals and got forward to tally two goals and an assist.

Joining her in the back is Kaylee Sturans and seniors Evelyn Logie and Alexa Alchevsky.

The quartet combined with first-team All-MAC Freedom goalkeeper Alexis Benedetto to post nine shutouts while allowing just .55 goals per game.
 
Misericordia carries a 10-match win streak into the tournament after beating Wilkes, 2-1, for its sixth MAC Freedom title in seven years.

The Cougars lost their only previous meeting with Rowan in 2008.

Rowan, 13-2-2, is making its fourth straight NCAA appearance and 14th overall.  The Profs earned an at-large berth after falling to TCNJ in the NJAC finals, 1-0, in overtime.

Daria Jones (15g, 6a) leads Rowan with 36 points while Darah Wagner (10g, 4a) has tallied 24 points.  Shelby Money has allowed just seven goals this season and has posted eight shutouts.