MPSF Final: Delaware Defend Their Crown Against UC Davis In Newark
Delaware are one win from defending their MPSF title, and they get to do it at home. The Blue Hens host UC Davis in the championship game on Saturday at noon ET (10 p.m. PKT) at Fred P. Rullo Stadium in Newark, with the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line.
Delaware are the top seeds and the defending champions, and they earned the bye straight to the final. The Hens finished 9-8 and were the best side in the league across the season, leading the MPSF in nine statistical categories. They also swept the conference awards this week: sophomore forward Livia van’t Hek was named MPSF Offensive Player of the Year, the coaching staff took the top staff honour, and five Delaware players made the All-MPSF team. The Hens also recorded nine defensive saves this season, the sixth-most in the country.
UC Davis are the underdogs, and they know it. The Aggies are 3-12 on the season, but they earned their place in the final the hard way, beating Queens 3-1 in Friday’s semi-final. A three-team league means there was no room for a bad day, and UC Davis delivered one when it mattered. They were the No. 2 seed, and now they get a shot at the champions on their own turf.
This is only the second edition of the MPSF championship. Delaware won the first one, and the league itself is brand new, field hockey only joined the MPSF last season. That makes this final a small piece of history either way: a successful defence for Delaware, or a first title for a UC Davis side that has already beaten the odds once this weekend.
The game streams on Game On Live Studio. Whoever wins goes to the NCAA Tournament, with the bracket revealed on Sunday night.
