NCAA DII women's soccer page l Tournament bracket l NCAA Digital Program

Related: PSAC Championship recap (ESU 1, Kutztown 0)

Related: Coach Berkowitz on the John Mendola Show


Results
Friday, 1pm - WV Wesleyan 1, Notre Dame (Ohio) 0 -- Box Score
Sunday, 1pm - WV Wesleyan advances past ESU, 0-0 (4-2 PK's) -- Game Recap

WV Wesleyan advances to Atlantic Region final vs. West Chester (Friday, Nov. 21 - site TBD)

TICKETS (available on site): $10 adults, $5 children


EAST STROUDSBURG - East Stroudsburg University, which earned its third trip to the NCAA Division II Tournament in program history with a 1-0 win over Kutztown in the PSAC championship game on Saturday, will be the Atlantic Region's No. 1 seed and host two games in this weekend's regional at Eiler-Martin Stadium.

ESU (20-1) will host No. 4 seed Notre Dame (Ohio) (14-2-2) and No. 5 seed West Virginia Wesleyan (12-4-2) on Friday at 1 p.m. at Eiler-Martin.

The Warriors will play the winner in a second-round game on Sunday at 1 p.m.

On the other side of the bracket, No. 2 seed West Chester (16-2-1) is designated the region's second host and will face the winner of No. 3 Kutztown (15-5) and No. 6 California (12-4-4). ESU rallied for a 3-2 win over Cal in the PSAC semifinals last Friday, while Kutztown beat West Chester 4-2 in the other semifinal before falling to ESU in the PSAC championship game.

ESU is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008, when the Warriors posted a 4-0 win over West Virginia Wesleyan before falling to West Chester, 3-2, in the second round. ESU first qualified in 1997, falling 3-0 to Adelphi in the first round.

ESU has won 20 straight games entering the NCAA Tournament, the second-longest winning streak in PSAC history. The 2014 PSAC championship is the third in school history, joining titles in 1994 and 1997.

Notre Dame and WV Wesleyan will meet for the fourth time on Friday, and the second time in six days after Notre Dame won the Mountain East Conference championship with a 1-0 victory on Sunday. They are 1-1-1 in the first three meetings - WV Wesleyan won 1-0 at home on Sept. 20, and they tied 1-1 at Notre Dame on Oct. 15.

Notre Dame is in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. WV Wesleyan is in for the eighth time and sixth time in the last eight years, including ESU's 4-0 win over the Bobcats in 2008. WV Wesleyan advanced to the second round in their most recent appearance in 2012.

West Chester qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the 12th straight year since 2003. The Golden Rams are five-time regional champions (2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2012) and advanced to the semifinals in 2006.

No. 3 seed Kutztown is in for the sixth time overall, and fifth time in six years.

No. 6 California has qualified six straight years since 2009 and won regional titles in 2009 and 2011. The Vulcans have reached the regional final four times (2009, 2010, 2011, 2013), falling to Slippery Rock in last year's regional final.

The two "sub-regional" winners will advance to the second weekend of competition on November 21 and 23 at a site to be determined. The Atlantic Region final will be held Friday, Nov. 21 with the NCAA DII quarterfinal against the East Region champion to be played Sunday, Nov. 23.

The Final Four will be held December 4 and 6 in Louisville, Kentucky, with Bellarmine University designated as the host institution.

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REGIONAL PREVIEW (November 12)

EAST STROUDSBURG - East Stroudsburg University, the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Atlantic Regional, will host No. 4 seed Notre Dame (Ohio) and No. 5 West Virginia Wesleyan in a first-round game on Friday at 1 p.m. before taking on the winner on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Eiler-Martin Stadium.
 
In Friday's game, Notre Dame and WV Wesleyan meet for the fourth time this year and the second time in six days. Notre Dame won the Mountain East Conference championship, 1-0, over WV Wesleyan on Sunday with a goal by Alex Defilippo in the 89th minute. The two squads are 1-1-1 against each other in three games this year.

Notre Dame (14-2-2) enters its first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history coming off the MEC regular season and postseason championships. Freshman forward Alexis Manoa (8 goals, 10 assists) was the MEC Player of the Year and leads seven all-conference selections (five on the first team) for head coach Mike Shiels, the MEC Coach of the Year.

The Falcons have a goal differential of 38-7, ranking seventh in DII in goals against average (0.37) with sophomore goalkeeper Samantha Shoemaker ranking sixth individually (0.33 gaa). Notre Dame's only two losses came 1-0 at WV Wesleyan on Sept. 20, and 1-0 vs. Edinboro on November 1.
 
WV Wesleyan (12-4-2) is in the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in eight years, and the eighth time in school history. The Bobcats were the national runner-up in 1997 and more recently have qualified in 2007, 2008 (falling 4-0 to ESU), 2009, 2010 and 2012. They posted a 2-0 win over Gannon two years ago and fell 1-0 to West Chester in the second round.
 
Senior back Rachel Ritchey, the MEC Defensive Player of the Year, leads a defense that has allowed just nine goals in 18 games. Junior forwards Keenan Moreta and Colette Biondi, both second-team All-MEC selections, lead WVW with seven and six goals, respectively.
 
ESU (20-1) awaits the winner and will host a home NCAA Tournament game for the first time in program history. The Warriors are in the field for the third time, falling 3-0 at Adelphi in 1997, and posting a 4-0 win over West Virginia Wesleyan before falling 3-2 at West Chester in 2008.
 
ESU's 2014 PSAC championship was the third in program history, joining titles in 1994 and 1997.
 
Sophomore midfielder Shea Neal scored the game's only goal in the 78th minute against Kutztown to earn PSAC Tournament MVP honors, and is an All-PSAC first team selection in both of her first two seasons.
 
ESU ranks in the top 20 in DII in both scoring (13th - 2.67 gpg) and defense (16th - 0.51 gaa) and has a goal differential of 56-11. The Warriors led the PSAC with six All-PSAC selections.
 
Neal and senior back Lexie Peveraro were on the All-PSAC first team, senior forward Courtney Keller, sophomore midfielder Laurel Neira and freshman goalkeeper Jules Harris were on the second team, and freshman back Amanda Vojta was on the third team.
 
ESU has five players who have scored at least six goals in sophomore forward Brielyn Hackett (8), Keller (7), Neal (7), junior forward Sammi Jo Hughes (7) and Neira (6).
 
Vojta is tied for second in DII with 16 assists, ESU's school record, and had the game-tying assist on Keller's header in the 81st minute of the Warriors' 3-2 win over Cal in the PSAC semifinals last Friday. Twelve of her 16 assists have come off corner kicks, and she has also scored twice directly off corner kicks - including in a 5-0 win over IUP in the PSAC quarterfinals last week.
 
Eight Warriors are in at least their second season as starters, led by Peveraro, a four-year starter at left back who has been in the lineup 75 times, including five postseason games.
 
Keller (59 career starts), Hughes (55), senior back Kelly Clark (50), Neal (38), junior midfielder Syrandin Deere Vester (37), Neira (36) and sophomore forward Hannah Gombos (33) have also been crucial parts of the ESU lineup this season.
 
Keller (7 goals, 4 assists), Hughes (7 goals, 3 assists) and Gombos (3 goals, 2 assists) have been the regular starters at forward, with Gombos moving to right back for about a month when Clark was out due to injury. Hackett (team-leading 8 goals) has made five starts and freshman Molly Vicari (3 assists) has made four starts at forward.
 
Hughes leads active ESU players with 15 career goals, followed by Neal with 13 in her first two seasons, and Keller with 12.
 
In the midfield, Neal and freshman Sammi Ortiz (2 goals, 1 assist) have started all 21 games, with Deere Vester starting the first 20 before missing the PSAC championship game due to injury. Sophomore Andrea Polanco stepped in and made her first career start.
 
Three players have started all 21 games defensively in Peveraro at left back, Neira at center back and Vojta, who is primarily the right back but moved to the middle when Clark was injured on Sept. 30 in a 2-1 (OT) win at West Chester. Clark has started 13 games and played in 15.
 
In goal, Harris was the second team All-PSAC goalkeeper as a freshman, leading the conference goals against average and save percentage in the regular season. She has a 0.54 goals against average and 0.878 save percentage with a school-record nine shutouts (eight solo), but missed the PSAC final due to injury.
 
Freshman Jess Hetrick made her fourth career start in the PSAC championship game and notched her third shutout. She has allowed just two goals in 411 minutes (0.44 gaa) and has a 0.867 save percentage.
 
The Warriors' bench has not gone very deep, with just 14 field players appearing in at least 14 of the team's 21 games. Hackett and Vicari have been the top subs at forward. The Warriors played just 11 outfield players in the PSAC championship game, with Hackett coming in off the bench.

Team capsules for this weekend's three-team "sub-regional" are below:


TEAM CAPSULES

EAST STROUDSBURG (No. 1 seed)

Record: 20-1
PSAC Record: 15-1 (1st)
PSAC Tournament Result: 1st (W 1-0 vs. Kutztown)
NCAA DII National Rank: #2

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 3rd
NCAA Regional Championships: 0
Last NCAA Tournament: 2008
NCAA Tournament Record: 1-2

Goal Differential: 56-11
NCAA Offense Rank: 2.67 gpg (13th of 228)
NCAA Defense Rank: 0.51 (16th)

Head Coach: Rob Berkowitz
Record (Years): 89-51-16 (8th year)
Career Record (Years): same
NCAA Tournaments: 2nd

All-PSAC
Coach of the Year - Rob Berkowitz
1st team - M Shea Neal (So.)
1st team - B Lexie Peveraro (Sr.)
2nd team - F Courtney Keller (Sr.)
2nd team - B Laurel Neira (So.)
2nd team - GK Jules Harris (Fr.)
3rd team - B Amanda Vojta (Fr.)

Goal Leaders:
8 - Brielyn Hackett
7 - Sammi Jo Hughes
7 - Courtney Keller
7 - Shea Neal
6 - Laurel Neira

Assist Leaders:
16 - Amanda Vojta (2nd in DII)
4 - Courtney Keller

Goalkeeper: Jules Harris (Fr.) - 17 games/17 starts
Goals against - 0.54 (23rd in DII)
Save percentage - 0.878
Saves per game - 3.8


NOTRE DAME (Ohio) (No. 4 seed)

Record: 14-2-2
MEC Record: 11-1-2 (1st)
MEC Tournament Result: 1st (W 1-0 vs. WV Wesleyan)

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 1st
NCAA Regional Championships: 0
Last NCAA Tournament: n/a
NCAA Tournament Record: 0-0

Goal Differential: 38-7
NCAA Offense Rank: 2.11 (40th of 228)
NCAA Defense Rank: 0.37 (7th)

Head Coach: Mike Shiels (12th year)
NCAA Tournaments: 1st

All-Mountain East Conference:
Coach of the Year - Mike Shiels
Player of the Year - Alexis Manoa
1st team - F Alexis Manoa (Fr.)
1st team - F Alex Defilippo (Jr.)
1st team - M Karla DiJohn (So.)
1st team - M Megan O'Connor (So.)
1st team - GK Samantha Shoemaker (So.)
2nd team - F Katherine Beattie (Jr.)
2nd team - B Maranda Melton (Fr.)

Goal Leaders:
8 - Alexis Manoa
8 - Alex Defilippo
5 - Megan O'Connor

Assist Leaders:
10 - Alexis Manoa
6 - Katherine Beattie

Goalkeeper: Samantha Shoemaker (So.) - 18 games/18 starts
Goals against - 0.33 (6th in DII)
Save percentage - 0.920
Saves per game - 3.8


WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN (No. 5 seed)

Record: 12-4-2
MEC Record: 9-3-2 (2nd)
MEC Tournament Result: 2nd (L 1-0 vs. Notre Dame)

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 8th
NCAA Regional Championships: 1 (1997)
Last NCAA Tournament: 2012 (6th in 8 years)
NCAA Tournament Record: 4-7

Goal Differential: 25-9
NCAA Offense Rank: 1.39 (123rd of 228)
NCAA Defense Rank: 0.49 (13th)

Head Coach: Patrick Holguin (5th year)
NCAA Tournaments: 3rd

All-Mountain East Conference
Defensive Player of the Year - Rachel Ritchey
1st team - M Abbey Lindblad (Sr.)
1st team - B Jessica Hong (Sr.)
1st team - B Rachel Ritchey (Sr.)
2nd team - F Colette Biondi (Jr.)
2nd team - F Keenan Moreta (Jr.)
2nd team - M Kristi Dalton (Jr.)
2nd team - B Amanda Forest (Sr.)
2nd team - GK Lauren Duncan (Sr.)

Goal Leaders:
7 - Keenan Moreta
6 - Colette Biondi

Assist Leaders:
4 - Megan McCoy

Goalkeeper: Lauren Duncan (Sr.) - 18 games/18 starts
Goals against - 0.50 (18th)
Save percentage - 0.859
Saves per game - 3.1