Cardinals begin title defense on Wednesday evening in Pa.

WASHINGTON – The Cardinals begin defense of their Landmark Conference championship on Wednesday when CUA heads to Pennsylvania to take on Susquehanna in the semifinals of the 2010 Landmark Conference Tournament.  CUA comes into the match red-hot, not having lost in its last nine matches.

CUA has not lost in over a month, since dropping a 3-2 decision in the conference opener on September 25.  The Cardinals opponent that day is the same one it will see on Wednesday: Susquehanna.

Since then CUA has been nearly unstoppable, ratting off six wins and three ties to move its record to 10-5-3 on the season.  The Cardinals have allowed only four goals during that time and shut out five opponents.

Bolstered by its recent play, CUA is allowing only 0.94 goals per game this season, which is tied for third best in the Landmark Conference.  On offense, the Cardinals are averaging 1.44 goals per contest, good for second best in the conference.

Leading the way offensively for CUA has been freshman Ian Smith with nine goals and 18 points.  Three of Smith’s goals have been game-winners.  Mike Brennan and Kevin Duffy have added five goals each, while six other Cardinals have found the back of the net at least once.

Defensively, the Cardinals rotate a strong lineup in front of senior goalkeeper Quinn Daly, who has registered 45 saves and a goals against average of 1.16. 

CUA seems to get stronger as the match moves along, having outscored its opponents 15-9 in the second half this season.  Playing on the road should not be a concern for the Cardinals either after posting a 1-0-2 mark away from home in conference matches in 2010.

This marks the third straight year in which CUA has qualified for the conference tournament.  The Cardinals have gone 3-1 in their previous matches, including a perfect 2-0 mark last season en route to winning their first-ever Landmark Conference title.

The fourth-seeded Cardinals and top-seeded Crusaders will get things started at 7:00 on Wednesday from Selinsgrove, Pa.  Live video of the match will be shown here.