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Related:
* DII semifinal recap (Friday, W 6-2 vs West Chester)
* McCarthy receives Elite 90 Award

Photo Galleries:
Semifinal vs. West Chester
Final vs. Merrimack  l  Final vs. Merrimack (2)
Community Engagement (Thursday at Central Columbia Elementary)
Practice (Saturday)


BLOOMSBURG - Senior forward Ally Roth converted a penalty stroke 4:48 into overtime to give East Stroudsburg University its first-ever NCAA Division II field hockey championship with a 1-0 (OT) win vs. Merrimack on Sunday afternoon at Bloomsburg University.

Roth drew the penalty stroke and found the lower left corner of the goal to give ESU the national title, its first in any sport since winning a pair of NCAA DII men's gymnastics titles in 1983 and 1984.

The senior forward, a two-time NFHCA All-America first team selection, scored her 21st goal of the season, 74th of her career, fifth overtime game-winner and second on a penalty stroke.

ESU (19-3) dominated most of the contest, holding advantages of 28-10 in shots and 18-10 in penalty corners, before finally breaking through in the extra session.

The Warriors reached the championship game with a 6-2 win vs. West Chester on Friday.

Merrimack (16-6), also playing for its first national title, advanced to the final with a 2-1 (OT) win vs. Adelphi in the first round and a 1-0 win vs. Stonehill, the No. 1 seed in the East Region, in the semifinals.

Madison Davis had 11 saves for Merrimack, which ranked eighth of 31 DII schools in scoring defense (1.29 gaa) entering the weekend.

ESU delivered the PSAC's 21st DII championship in 24 years and is the sixth PSAC school with a DII field hockey title. The Warriors join West Chester (2011-12), Millersville (2013) and Shippensburg (2014) as recent first-time winners. Bloomsburg (13) and Lock Haven (5) have also won DII championships.

The Warriors won the sixth overtime game in DII championship game history, including the fourth in the last 12 years. Shippensburg won the most recent overtime championship, 2-1, vs. LIU Post in 2013.

ESU played in the national championship game for the second time under head coach Sandy Miller, who improves to 376-259-11 in her 32nd season. The Warriors were runner-up to Bentley in 2001. They appeared in the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time (DIII 1987-88, 90; DII 2001, 09-10, 15).

ESU finishes with a school record for wins (19-3), surpassing the mark of 17 wins set in 1995 (17-4) and tied in 2010 (17-6).

Junior goalkeeper Danielle Ard had two saves for ESU, one in each half. The Warriors held an 11-5 advantage in shots in the first half, then posted a 15-4 margin in the second half, including 12 penalty corners.

The Warriors, with five seniors, five juniors and a sophomore in the starting lineup, were ranked No. 6 in the NFHCA DII preseason poll and fourth in the PSAC preseason poll. They won their first three games, dropped  pair of 1-0 scores to Kutztown and Millersville, then won 16 of their final 17 games, including seven straight to finish the season.

ESU won its first-ever PSAC championship on November 8 with a 1-0 victory vs. Millersville, then waited 12 days to play West Chester in the DII semifinals. The Warriors scored four first-half goals in a 6-2 win.

Roth started all 79 games in her career, finishing as ESU's career record holder with 74 goals and 172 points. She ranks t-8th in goals and 8th in points in PSAC history, and 12th in goals and 13th in points in DII history.

She was one of three first team All-PSAC selections along with junior midfielder Desiraye Mack, who scored 12 goals, including two in the semifinal win vs. West Chester, and junior back Emily Howell, the PSAC championship game MVP.

Senior midfielder Rebecca Snyder was named to the All-PSAC second team with senior back Amanda Wnorowski and junior back Morgan Firestine on the third team.

Wnorowski (63 career starts) and Mack (61) are both three-year starters for the Warriors, with Howell (36), senior midfielder Lindsay Blum (35) and Firestine (32) in their second seasons in the starting lineup. Snyder (23), junior forward Marisa Miro (22), sophomore midfielder Sydney McCarthy (22) and senior midfielder Samantha Hosford (21) were first-year starters for ESU's championship team.

In goal, Ard is a two-year starter and posted her 12th career shutout in 43 starts. She entered the contest with a 0.84 goals against average, second-best in DII.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM (ESU selections)
Danielle Ard (Jr. GK)
Morgan Firestine (Jr. B)
Samantha Hosford (Sr. M)
Ally Roth (Sr. F)

ESU NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
Men's Soccer - 1962 (NAIA)
Archery - 1975 (Mixed), 1976-77 (Men) (US Intercollegiate)
Men's Gymnastics - 1983-84 (NCAA DII)
Field Hockey - 2015 (NCAA DII)