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IMMACULATA, Pa. - The Immaculata University field hockey team makes its first appearance in the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Tournament semifinals since the 2014 campaign as the team makes the trip to Gwynedd Mercy to take on the top-seeded Griffins (15-3, 7-0 CSAC) at 7 p.m. on Wednesday night, Nov. 1.
 
The Mighty Macs (6-13, 4-3 CSAC) earned the fourth seed in the postseason after finishing with the same CSAC record as Marywood, but the Pacers held the tiebreaker for the third seed with their 3-2 win against the Mighty Macs.

Since changing to the CSAC for the 2008 season, the Mighty Macs had reached the postseason six times previously. The last postseason appearance was during the 2014 season when the Mighty Macs reached the CSAC semifinals as the fourth seed. Immaculata had made the playoffs the year before as the third seed, but lost on the road at No. 2 Gwynedd Mercy, 3-1. Immaculata has a 1-6 record in those appearances. Immaculata has faced Gwynedd Mercy twice in the tournament during the 2013 and 2011 seasons, falling on the road to the Griffins, 3-1, each year.

Immaculata ended the CSAC regular season with a loss to Gwynedd Mercy at Draper Walsh Stadium, 7-1, on Tuesday, October 24. Senior First Team All-CSAC forward Megan Donegan scored just the second in CSAC play against the Griffins in the 44th minute of the contest, and freshman goalkeeper Randie Kuhar made 15 saves for the Mighty Macs.

Individually, Donegan broke the previous single-season goals and points records, and tied the single-season mark for assists by reaching 44 points, 18 goals and eight assists this season.  Donegan has accumulated 94 points, 39 goals and 16 assists for her career to list second all-time in points and goals, and third in career assists. She ranks third in the CSAC in points per game (2.32), third in goals per game (0.95), and third in assists per game (0.41). Donegan recorded at least one point in every CSAC contest this season.

Joining Donegan as offensive threats are seven other Mighty Macs who have each scored at least three goals this season. Willa Thompson ranks second in goals (5) and points (13), while Layne Kennedy has scored five goals and one assist for 11 points. Shannon Lozier has 10 points (3 goals, 4 assists), Cayla Williams has nine points (4 goals, 1 assist), Brittany Richards has three goals and two assists for right points, and Hilary Burkholder and Amanda Miller have each added three goals.
 
In the midfield, sophomore Colleen Bradley had an impressive regular season earning Honorable Mention All-CSAC accolades. Bradley had four assists to tie for second on the squad with junior Jackie Wood.

On defense, senior First Team All-CSAC selection Cayla Williams became Immaculata's career leader with 21 defensive saves. She has made nine defensive saves this season, which ranks her ninth in the NCAA. Lozier, Alexis Goeller, Michelle Dubyk, and Antonia Vicari have also been critical defensively this season for the Mighty Macs.

In goal, Kuhar has had a strong rookie season with a 5-12 record, 127 saves for a .694 save percentage, and a 3.56 goals against average.

Gwynedd Mercy is the top scoring team in all of NCAA Division III with 5.11 goals per game and 13.28 points per game.  The Griffins also produce the nation's and the CSAC's leading scorer in Melissa Russo, who finished the regular season with 33 goals and 12 assists for 78 points. Brianna O'Connell (20 goals) and Kaitlyn Lutz (13 goals) will also factor in for the Griffins, while Shannon Carroll leads Gwynedd Mercy with 14 assists. Russo was tabbed as the 2017 CSAC Player of the Year, and Lutz was selected the Defensive Player of the Year.

The winner of this CSAC semifinal will face the winner of No. 2 Cabrini vs. No. 3 Marywood semifinal on Saturday at the highest remaining seed at a time to be determined.