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PSAC Tournament at ESU
Friday: 1pm - ESU vs California
Friday: 3:30pm - West Chester vs Kutztown
Saturday: 6pm - PSAC championship game

Tickets: $7 for adults, $2 for students (PSAC students are free with valid student ID)


EAST STROUDSBURG - East Stroudsburg University will look to take the second step towards its third PSAC women's soccer championship in school history when the Warriors host California (Pa.) in the PSAC semifinals on Friday at 1 p.m. at Eiler-Martin Stadium.
 
ESU (18-1), the PSAC regular season champion, advanced through the quarterfinals with a 5-0 win over IUP on Tuesday and earned the opportunity to host the PSAC semifinals and championship game this weekend.  (Quarterfinal recap)
 
The top four seeds all advanced on Tuesday, setting up a star-studded PSAC Final Four that includes nine of the 13 selections on the All-PSAC first team released Wednesday.
 
ESU takes on defending PSAC champion California (12-3-4) in Friday's first semifinal at 1 p.m., followed by No. 2 seed West Chester (16-1-1) vs. No. 3 Kutztown (14-4) at 3:30 p.m.
 
The PSAC championship game will be played on Saturday at 6 p.m. following ESU's football game vs. West Chester at 1 p.m.
 
Tickets are $7 for adults, $2 for students and free for PSAC students with a valid student ID.
 
ESU is in the midst of an 18-game winning streak, the second-longest in PSAC history, entering the semifinals and moved to the No. 1 spot in the NCAA DII Atlantic Region rankings on Wednesday.
 
The Warriors won the first-ever PSAC women's soccer championship in 1994, added a second title in 1997 and reached the final in 1998. They are looking for their first trip to the championship game since then and are in the PSAC semifinals for the fourth time in eight years under head coach Rob Berkowitz (2007, 2008, 2012 and 2014).
 
Berkowitz was named PSAC Coach of the Year after guiding the Warriors, picked eighth in the PSAC preseason poll, to the first regular season conference title in program history. ESU improved seven spots from its preseason ranking, the best improvement in five years under the PSAC's current single-division format.
 
ESU's 5-0 win over IUP in the PSAC quarterfinals marked the most goals and largest margin of victory in a postseason game in program history. The Warriors scored four goals in the second half to pull away from the Crimson Hawks and tied another school record with their fifth straight shutout. ESU has played 470:53 since allowing its last goal, late in a 2-1 win over Seton Hill on Oct. 22.

ESU ranks first in the PSAC in both goals scored (2.74) and goals against (0.47), sporting a 52-9 goal differential in 19 games.
 
The Warriors had six All-PSAC selections, the most in the conference, led by two on the first team in sophomore midfielder Shea Neal (6 goals, 2 assists) and senior back Lexie Peveraro, who has made 73 career starts. Neal was also named to the first team as a freshman and was ESU's only returning All-PSAC player entering 2014.
 
Senior forward Courtney Keller (6 goals, 4 assists), sophomore back Laurel Neira (6 goals) and freshman goalkeeper Jules Harris were named to the second team. Harris leads the PSAC in goals against average (0.44) and save percentage (0.896) and has set school records with nine total shutouts and eight solo shutouts in 16 starts.
 
Freshman back Amanda Vojta earned a spot on the third team and leads the PSAC with 15 assists, tied for ESU's school record. Vojta has two goals, both directly off corner kicks, and has 12 of her 15 assists on corner kicks as a key part of the ESU attack.
 
Sophomore forward Brielyn Hackett leads ESU with eight goals, including two against IUP in the quarterfinals. She has played in all 19 games and made five starts. Four Warriors have scored six goals each - Keller, Neal, Neira and junior forward Sammi Jo Hughes, whose 14 career goals are the most among current ESU players.
 
In the midfield, Neal is joined by freshman Sammi Ortiz (2 goals, 1 assist) and junior Syrandin Deere Vester (3 goals), who has been a standout as a defensive midfielder.
 
The back line includes Peveraro at left back, Neira and senior Kelly Clark at center back and Vojta at right back.
 
ESU faces the PSAC's top program over the last several years in California, which has won two of the last three PSAC titles (2011, 2013) and is in the semifinals for the sixth straight year.
 
The Warriors secured the PSAC regular season title with a 1-0 win over Cal last Saturday (Nov. 1) on a goal by Hackett in the 71st minute.
 
Cal reached the semifinals with a 2-1 win over Slippery Rock, getting two goals from junior forward Janelle McCann, a third team All-PSAC selection who shares the PSAC lead in goals (11) with teammate Chelsea Crockett, a senior forward and first team All-PSAC pick.
 
The Vulcans also feature senior midfielder Erin Hogan (2 goals, 10 assists), a first team pick, and senior back Megan Politowski, named to the second team. Sophomore goalkeeper Meghan Jayes ranks fourth in the PSAC in both goals against average (0.64) and save percentage (0.863).
 
In the other semifinal, West Chester takes on Kutztown in a rematch of WCU's 2-0 win at Kutztown on September 6.
 
Kutztown handed ESU its only loss, 1-0, in the season opener on September 4 but West Chester produced two second-half goals from Laura Slavich (61st minute) and Kaitlyn McNamara (82nd minute) to beat the Golden Bears two days later.
 
West Chester has won four PSAC Championships (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010), the last three under eighth-year head coach Betty Ann Kempf Townsley, who has a 125-27-19 record at WCU.
 
Senior midfielder Carly Yost (7 goals, 6 assists) and junior back Erika Schrock were named to the All-PSAC first team, and sophomore forward Kara Parvel (7 goals, 1 assist) was named to the second team.
 
In goal, sophomore Alex Srolis has started all 18 games and is second in the PSAC in goals against average (0.50) and third in save percentage (0.873).
 
WCU ranks second in the PSAC in goals for (2.39 per game) and allowed (0.50 per game). The Golden Rams won their quarterfinal game vs. Gannon, 3-0, on goals from Nikki Lynch (8th minute), Haley Mangiaruga (36th) and Dana Hunt (84th).

Kutztown features senior forward Sam Costello, the PSAC Athlete of the Year, who ranks third in the PSAC with 10 goals and added four assists.
 
KU had a PSAC-high three first-team selections in Costello, junior midfielder Diana Malanga (7 goals, 3 assists) and junior back Sam Busillo. Costello (35th minute) and Malanga (61st) were the goal scorers in KU's 2-0 win over Edinboro in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.
 
Freshman goalkeeper Deanna Messner has started all 18 games with a 0.68 goals against average (5th in the PSAC) and 0.846 save percentage (7th).
 
Kutztown ranks fourth in the PSAC in goals for (2.06) and tied for third in goals against (0.72).
 

EAST STROUDSBURG (No. 1 seed)
Quarterfinal result: W 5-0 vs. IUP
 
Record: 18-1
PSAC Record: 15-1 (1st)
NCAA DII Atlantic Region Rank: #1
NSCAA DII National Rank: #3
 
PSAC Championships: 2 (1994, 1997)
Last Semifinal: 2012
Last Final: 1998 (L 1-0 vs. Bloomsburg)
 
Goal Differential: 52-9
PSAC Offense Rank: 1st (2.74)
PSAC Defense Rank: 1st (0.47)
 
Head Coach: Rob Berkowitz
Record (Years): 87-51-16 (8th year)
Career Record (Years): same
PSAC Championships: 0
 
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 (t-7th in PSAC)
6 - Sammi Jo Hughes
6 - Courtney Keller
6 - Shea Neal
6 - Laurel Neira
 
Assist Leaders:
15 - Amanda Vojta (1st in PSAC)
4 - Courtney Keller (t-10th)
 
Goalkeeper: Jules Harris (Fr.) - 16 games/16 starts
Goals against - 0.44 (1st in PSAC)
Save percentage - 0.896 (1st)
Saves per game - 3.75 (14th)

 
CALIFORNIA (No. 4 seed)
Quarterfinal result: W 2-1 vs. Slippery Rock
 
Record: 12-3-4
PSAC Record: 10-3-3 (4th)
NCAA DII Atlantic Region Rank: #8
NSCAA DII National Rank: n/a
 
PSAC Championships: 2 (2011, 2013)
Last Semifinal: 2013 (6th straight)
Last Final: 2013 (W 3-0 vs. West Chester)
 
Goal Differential: 33-15
PSAC Offense Rank: 7th (1.74)
PSAC Defense Rank: 5th (0.79)
 
Head Coach: Glenn Francis
Record (Years): 12-3-4 (1st year)
Career Record (Years): 87-70-16 (9th year)
PSAC Championships: 0
 
All-PSAC
1st team - F Chelsea Crockett (Sr.)
1st team - M Erin Hogan (Sr.)
2nd team - B Megan Politowski (Sr.)
3rd team - F Janelle McCann (Jr.)
 
Goal Leaders:
11 - Chelsea Crockett (t-1st in PSAC)
11 - Janelle McCann (t-1st)
 
Assist Leaders:
10 - Erin Hogan (3rd in PSAC)
6 - Chelsea Crockett (5th)
 
Goalkeeper: Meghan Jayes (So.) - 17 games/17 starts
Goals against - 0.64 (4th in PSAC)
Save percentage - 0.863 (4th)
Saves per game - 4.06 (11th)
 
 
WEST CHESTER (No. 2 seed)
Quarterfinal result: W 3-0 vs. Gannon
 
Record: 16-1-1
PSAC Record: 14-1-1 (2nd)
NCAA DII Atlantic Region Rank: #2
NSCAA DII National Rank: #15
 
PSAC Championships: 4 (2006, 2007, 2009, 2010)
Last Semifinal: 2013
Last Final: 2013 (L 3-0 vs. California)
 
Goal Differential: 43-9
PSAC Offense Rank: 2.39 (2nd)
PSAC Defense Rank: 0.50 (2nd)
 
Head Coach: Betty Ann Kempf Townsley
Record (Years): 125-27-19 (8th year)
Career Record (Years): 268-229-45 (29th year)
PSAC Championships: 3
 
All-PSAC
1st team - M Carly Yost (Sr.)
1st team - B Erika Schrock (Jr.)
2nd team - F Kara Parvel (So.)
 
Goal Leaders:
7 - Kara Parvel (t-9th in PSAC)
7 - Carly Yost (t-9th)
6 - Dana Hunt
6 - Marissa Valenti
 
Assist Leaders:
6 - Carly Yost (t-5th in PSAC)
5 - Lexi Lentz (7th)
4 - Cara Deola (t-10th)
4 - Marissa Valenti (t-10th)
 
Goalkeeper: Alex Srolis (So.) - 18 games/18 starts
Goals against - 0.50 (2nd in PSAC)
Save percentage - 0.873 (3rd)
Saves per game - 3.44 (18th)


KUTZTOWN (No. 3 seed)
Quarterfinal result: W 2-0 vs. Edinboro
 
Record: 14-4
PSAC Record: 12-4 (3rd)
NCAA DII Atlantic Region Rank: #4
NSCAA DII National Rank: #19
 
PSAC Championships: 0
Last Semifinal: 2011
Last Final: 2011 (L 2-1 vs. California)
 
Goal Differential: 37-13
PSAC Offense Rank: 2.06 (4th)
PSAC Defense Rank: 0.72 (t-3rd)
 
Head Coach: Erik Burstein
Record (Years): 105-46-11 (8th year)
Career Record (Years): 128-75-13 (11th year)
PSAC Championships: 0
 
All-PSAC
Athlete of the Year - Sam Costello
1st team - F Sam Costello (Sr.)
1st team - M Diana Malanga (Jr.)
1st team - B - Sam Busillo (Jr.)
 
Goal Leaders:
10 - Sam Costello (3rd in PSAC)
7 - Diana Malanga (t-9th)
6 - Alaina Curry
 
Assist Leaders:
4 - Sam Costello (t-10th in PSAC)
4 - Logan Kramer (t-10th)
 
Goalkeeper: Deanna Messner (Fr.) - 18 games/18 starts
Goals against - 0.68 (5th)
Save percentage - 0.846 (7th)
Saves per game - 3.67 (16th)