AURORA, N.Y. – The defending North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) champion Wells College field hockey team won the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) West Division* Championship with a 6-1 victory over Wilson College Saturday. 

The Express will now advance to play NAC East Division Champion Maine-Farmington for the NEAC/NAC Crossover Championship on Saturday, November 5 at 1 p.m. at Castleton University in Castleton, Vt.  The winner will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. 

Wells carried the action with three goals in the first half and three goals in the second half. The Express outshot Wilson 19-11 in the victory. 

Senior Shianne Stokes (Mays Landing, N.J.) opened the scoring in the fourth minute with an unassisted goal when she carried the ball into the right side of the area and shot into the left side of the net. 

Later in the first half Kate Wells (Gardner, Mass.) scored twice, with the first goal being assisted by Stokes and the second unassisted. 

To start the second half, freshman Katie Shank (Waynesboro, Pa.) scored for Wilson College, and then Kelly Mason (North Canastota, N.Y.) scored for the Express, assisted by Kate Wells. Kate Wells and Ivy Cromp scored in the final 11 minutes of the second half to seal the win.     

Kate Wells went on to be named Tournament MVP following the three-goal, one-assist performance.  

Freshman Kelsey Kokosa (Ludlow, Mass.) made four saves and earned the victory in goal.  A full box score can be found here.

Note: Majority of this release courtesy of Wells College Sports Information Director Joe Gladziszewski

*Beginning in the 2016-17 season, NEAC full members Keuka College, Wells College and Wilson College will become associate members of the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) and will represent the West Division.  NAC members Castleton University, Colby-Sawyer College, Husson University, University of Maine-Farmington, New England College and Thomas (Me.) College will make up the East Division.   

Each division will conduct regular season competition before holding divisional rounds of the NAC Tournament.  The two divisional champions will then square off to proclaim an overall champion, who will then earn the NAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Field Hockey Championship Tournament.  

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The North Eastern Athletic Conference has fourteen NCAA Division III member institutions which include: Bryn Athyn College, Cazenovia College, College of St. Elizabeth, Gallaudet University, Keuka College, Lancaster Bible College, Pennsylvania College of Technology, Pennsylvania State University - Abington, Pennsylvania State University - Berks, SUNY Cobleskill, SUNY Morrisville State College, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Wells College, and Wilson College.  Associate members are: Cedar Crest College (W Swimming), D’Youville College (M Volleyball), Hilbert College (M Lacrosse & M Volleyball), Medaille College (M&W Lacrosse & M Volleyball), Penn State Altoona (M Volleyball) and Rutgers University - Camden (M Golf).  The North Eastern Athletic Conference has partnered with the North Atlantic Conference in the sports of field hockey and men’s and women’s tennis.