Box Score UPDATED 9:00 PM

ST. DAVIDS (PA) – For the first time in program history, the Delaware Valley College field hockey team will be the number one seed for the upcoming Freedom Conference tournament despite the Aggies' 3-1 loss at five-time defending conference champion Eastern University on Tuesday afternoon.

The loss in the regular-season finale dropped Delaware Valley to 12-6 overall and 5-2 in the Freedom, but the Aggies were still assured of no worse than the number two seed and a home semifinal game. However, about three hours after the conclusion of that game, the Aggies watched online as Misericordia University, which needed a win to get the top seed, dropped a 4-1 road decision at Wilkes University.

That result set up for the four-team tournament field and the four were the fifth (Wilkes), sixth (Delaware Valley), seventh (Misericordia) and eighth (DeSales) ranked teams in the Freedom's preseason coaches' poll.

Delaware Valley is the top seed and will host Misericordia (6-12, 4-3), which fell all the way to the fourth seed with its loss to Wilkes, in the semifinals on Wednesday, November 6 at 2:30 p.m. on the new turf at Robert A. Lipinski Field at James Work Memorial Stadium. The two met on that field back on October 12 when the Cougars handed Delaware Valley its first conference loss of the season with a 3-2, overtime result.

If the Aggies defeat Misericordia, they would host the Freedom Conference Championship Game on Saturday, November 9 (time TBA) against the winner of the No. 2 Wilkes (6-11, 4-3)/No. 3 DeSales University (8-9, 4-3) semifinal match-up. The Freedom Conference champion earns an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III playoffs.

Eastern, which ended its season with an 8-10 overall record and a 3-4 mark in the conference, dominated the first half on its Senior Day as it held advantages of 14-1 in shots and 10-0 in corners. The Eagles got on the board 15:09 in when Danielle Frasca deflected a Lauren Gay shot off a corner opportunity. Fifteen minutes later, they were awarded a penalty stroke and Megan Bolton converted for the 2-0 lead. Five minutes into the second half, Jess Jaindl made it 3-0 with a deflection off a shot from Gay.

Delaware Valley then turned it on after that third tally and finished the second half with 10 shots. One of them found the back of the cage with 14:16 remaining as Kelsey Zook's shot off a corner opportunity was stopped, but the rebound went right to Lydia Spakosky and she put it in for her first goal of the season. Spakosky also had two defensive saves in the game.

The Aggies nearly had another goal with 29 seconds left as Taylor Prichett's shot got behind Eastern goalkeeper Jennifer O'Neill, but a defender was there to prevent it from rolling past the goal line.

Delaware Valley's Sandra Edwards notched seven saves in each half to finish with a season-high 14 stops.