Division II Semi-Final Friday: Kutztown’s Goal Machine, Shippensburg’s Home Fortress and Newberry’s Perfect League Record All on the Line
Friday is the busiest day of the Division II season so far. Six semi-finals, three conferences, three finals to be decided on Sunday. And every one of the six ties has something real riding on it, because the NCAA selection show follows on Sunday night at 8pm ET and nobody wants to leave their fate to the committee.
Start in the PSAC, where Shippensburg hosts the whole weekend at Robb Sports Complex. The top seeds open it at noon ET against IUP, and this one has a sting to it. IUP are the form team nobody saw coming. First-year head coach Stephen Hamill has them at 13-5, their best season since 2012, and they got here by beating Bloomsburg 2-1 on Tuesday with sophomore Kasey Rieger scoring twice in the first half.
Shippensburg are 14-2 and the No. 1 seeds, but they know what IUP can do. The Raiders are hosting because they won the regular-season race, and they’ve been here before. This is their 24th straight PSAC tournament and their 32nd semi-final in the competition’s 46-year history. Experience counts for plenty on days like this.
The second semi, at 2:30pm ET, might be the best game of the day anywhere in college hockey. No. 1 nationally ranked Kutztown, 17-1, against East Stroudsburg, and the Golden Bears won’t need reminding that the Warriors already beat them once. Kutztown won the rematch 3-2, but ESU got here by scoring with just over a minute left to beat West Chester 2-1 on Tuesday. They don’t go away.
Kutztown’s numbers are silly. Eighty-five goals, 57 assists, 233 penalty corners, all best in the PSAC, and only 11 conceded. That’s a side that scores for fun and barely lets anything in. But knockout hockey doesn’t care about your numbers. ESU only need one good hour.
The NE10’s familiar four
Over in the Northeast-10, it’s the same cast as always. Saint Anselm and Assumption shared the regular-season title at 8-1, and for the fourth straight year both are in the semi-finals.
Saint Anselm, the top seeds at 13-4, host Pace at 4pm ET. Pace earned the trip by beating Bentley 3-1 on Tuesday, and the Setters are 12-6. The Hawks will be favourites at home, but Pace have already won a knockout game this week and that matters.
The other semi is Assumption against Adelphi at Assumption in Worcester, and the time is still to be confirmed. Assumption are 14-4 after hammering Southern New Hampshire 7-0 in their quarter-final, a record-setting win for the programme. Adelphi are 13-6 after a 4-0 win over American International, with junior Jena Geels scoring twice. The Panthers are playing for a first NE10 final appearance since 2022, and they’ve only lost to the two champions all season. Don’t write them off.
Then there’s the South Atlantic Conference, where Newberry have been close to untouchable. The Wolves went 12-0 in league play, they’re 15-1 overall, they’re the defending champions, and they’re hosting the semis and the final. They meet Converse at 2pm ET on Friday, and Converse got here by beating Wingate 3-0.
The second semi, at 5pm ET, is Belmont Abbey against Lander. Belmont Abbey finished 12-4 and 10-2 in the league, and Lander are 9-7 after a 5-1 quarter-final win over Coker. The final is Sunday at 1pm ET, and Newberry will expect to be in it. Expecting it and doing it are different things, though. Converse have nothing to lose.
Three finals on Sunday, then the selection show at 8pm ET on NCAA.com. By Monday morning we’ll know which of these teams are still dancing and which ones are done for the year.
