Misericordia Women’s Soccer Secures Championship Berth with 3-0 Victory Over Arcadia
DALLAS, PA – The #16 Misericordia University women’s soccer team advanced to the MAC Freedom Championship game Wednesday night, defeating Arcadia University 3-0 in the semifinal round at Mangelsdorf Field. The Cougars’ dominant performance sets the stage for a title clash against Stevens University this Saturday.
This victory marks a significant step for the top-seeded Cougars in their quest for a conference championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The win extends Misericordia’s remarkable season and solidifies their position as a force in Division III women’s soccer. The championship game will be hosted at Mangelsdorf Field, offering a home-field advantage as they pursue their first MAC Freedom title as 2019.
Haleigh Wintersteen ignited the scoring for Misericordia early in the second half, converting a penalty kick at 51:15. Less than ten minutes later, Caelan Gallagher extended the lead to 2-0 at 59:30, capitalizing on a well-placed pass from Esabella Mendola following a feed from Olivia Maniskas. Lily Heistand sealed the victory with a powerful strike from 25 yards out at 74:54,pushing the final score to 3-0.
Despite the clean sheet, Arcadia’s goalkeeper proved a formidable opponent, recording several diving saves throughout the match. Misericordia’s early offensive pressure saw a shot from Mendola go just wide left at 4:19, followed by a chip shot from Maniskas that sailed high a minute later. Evans also tested the Arcadia keeper with low strikes in the eighth and 29th minutes, both requiring diving stops. Gallagher’s attempt at 63:27 and Julia Hayward’s shot at 74:07 were also thwarted by diving saves.
Lauren Mondor secured the shutout for Misericordia with three saves. the Cougars will now prepare to face Stevens in the MAC Freedom Championship game on Saturday, with the time to be determined.
