PSAC Tournament page (psacsports.org)  l  All-PSAC Team

Related: NFHCA DII rankings  l  NCAA DII Atlantic Region rankings

Team Capsules (scroll down page)
* 23 of 39 All-PSAC selections represented
* 11 of 13 All-PSAC 1st team selections represented

First Round (Tuesday)
4 p.m. - #3 West Chester (12-6, 8-2) vs. #6 IUP (10-7, 5-5) - West Chester 4-1
4 p.m. - #4 Millersville (14-4, 7-3) vs. #5 Bloomsburg (12-6, 6-4) - Millersville 2-0

Semifinals (Friday) at ESU
12 p.m. - #2 Shippensburg (17-2) d. #3 West Chester (13-7), 2-1 (Box Score)
2:30 p.m. - #4 Millersville (16-4) d. #1 ESU (15-4), 1-0 (Box Score)

Final (Sunday) at ESU
1 p.m.  - #2 Shippensburg vs. #4 Millersville  (Live Stats)

Tickets:
$10 - Adult
$5 - Student Age
Free - Students with PSAC school ID
No complimentary tickets (only PSAC-distributed passes to conference personnel are accepted)


EAST STROUDSBURG - East Stroudsburg University, the defending PSAC champion and the conference's top seed and tournament host for the second straight year, will host the PSAC semifinals and championship game this weekend at Whitenight Field.

ESU (15-3, 9-1) will play in the second of two semifinals on Friday at 2:30 p.m., facing the winner of Tuesday's first-round game between No. 4 seed Millersville (14-4, 7-3) and No. 5 Bloomsburg (12-6, 6-4).

No. 2 seed Shippensburg (16-2, 9-1) will play the winner of No. 3 West Chester (12-6, 8-2) and No. 6 IUP (10-7, 5-5) in the first semifinal on Friday at 12 p.m.

The championship game will be played Sunday at 1 p.m.

The top five teams in last week's NCAA Division II Atlantic Region rankings are included in the field in No. 1 ESU, No. 2 Shippensburg, No. 3 Millersville, No. 4 West Chester and No. 5 Bloomsburg. Updated rankings will be released this Wednesday.

ESU, the defending NCAA DII champion, is seeking its second straight PSAC championship after winning its first-ever title last fall. The Warriors, under 33rd-year head coach Sandy Miller, were previously conference runner-up in 2001 and 2010 before breaking through for the 2015 title - a 1-0 win over Millersville. (Wednesday: Miller named PSAC Coach of the Year)

The Warriors secured the right to host the PSAC Final Four with a head-to-head tiebreaker vs. Shippensburg, defeating the Raiders 2-1 (2OT) on a goal by junior midfielder Ashley Chioda with 4:28 remaining in the second overtime on October 29.

ESU finished the regular season with a 3-0 win at Slippery Rock on Saturday.

The Warriors won both regular season meetings with Shippensburg, handing the Raiders a 1-0 (OT) loss in a non-conference game on September 17 on a goal by senior back Emily Howell for their only other setback this fall.

ESU won a share of its third PSAC regular season title (2010, 2015, 2016) and has posted its sixth season with at least 15 wins. Last year's team set a school record with 19 victories, which the Warriors could match with four postseason victories - the PSAC semifinals and championship game, and NCAA DII semifinals and championship game.

The six-team tournament field, which will be pared down to four teams after Tuesday's first round games, has combined for 26 PSAC championships (Bloomsburg 18, Millersville 3, West Chester 2 and ESU, IUP and Shippensburg 1 each) - including each of the last 14 (Bloomsburg 8, West Chester 2 and ESU, IUP, Millersville and Shippensburg 1 each).

They have also combined for 20 NCAA championships (Bloomsburg 15, West Chester 2 and ESU, Millersville and Shippensburg 1 each).

The Warriors are led by a pair of returning senior first team All-America selections in Howell and midfielder Desiraye Mack, who were crucial parts of last year's PSAC and NCAA DII championship teams.

ESU returned five starters from last year's team in Howell, Mack, senior goalkeeper Danielle Ard, senior back Morgan Firestine and junior midfielder Sydney McCarthy.

(Wednesday: Howell named PSAC Defensive Athlete of the Year; Howell, Mack, Firestine, Stevenson 1st team, McCarthy 2nd team)

The six departed starters from 2015 were three-time All-America forward Ally Roth, All-America second team midfielder Rebecca Snyder, All-PSAC back Amanda Wnorowski, midfielders Lindsay Blum and Samantha Hosford and forward Marisa Miro.

Senior forward Robin Stevenson, in her first season as a starter, has scored a team-high 11 of ESU's 50 goals through the first 18 games.

Sophomore forward Bailey Quinn, a transfer from Division I Old Dominion, has contributed eight goals and two assists in 18 games (13 starts). Sophomore forward Kelli Shapiro (15 games, six starts) has added two goals and an assist at forward.

Mack leads the midfield, posting seven goals and two assists this season and a team-leading 22 goals in her career, along with nine assists. She has started 79 games in her four years with the Warriors and had 12 goals on last year's championship team.

McCarthy (4 goals, 3 assists) has started all 40 games in midfield over the last two years. Chioda (1 goal, 2 assists in 17 starts), junior Hannah Caplan (2 assists in 18 starts) and sophomore Paige Harrold (2 goals, 8 assists in 18 starts) are all first-year starters in the midfield.

Howell, last year's PSAC Tournament MVP, leads the back line. She has started all 18 games at center back, posting six goals and four assists as the top target on penalty corners, after starting all 22 games at left back last fall. She has 12 goals and 11 assists while making 54 career starts.

Firestine is in her second season as a full-time starter, appearing in the starting lineup 49 times overall.

Sophomores Ashley Ceschini (16 starts) and Amanda Crampton (3 starts) have also been in the lineup at back.

Ard is in her third season as the starting goalkeeper with a record of 45 wins and 16 losses in 64 games (61 starts). She has a 0.71 goals against average, allowing 12 goals in 18 starts, and has posted nine total shutouts and seven solo shutouts this fall. Ard ranks third at ESU in career shutouts (21) entering the PSAC Tournament.

Other key contributors have been sophomore forward Makenna Marhefka (3 goals), sophomore midfielder Karisa Turner (3 goals), junior forward Melanie Shambaugh (2 goals, 1 assist) and freshman midfielder Kristen English (1 assist).

ESU is in the PSAC Tournament for the 15th time and has advanced to the championship game three times (2001, 2010, 2015) in its previous 14 appearances.

The Warriors are a perfect 3-0 in championship round (non-consolation round) PSAC Tournament games at Whitenight Field, beating Mercyhurst 2-1 in the first round in 2014 and posting wins over West Chester (3-1) and Millersville (1-0) to win last year's title.


EAST STROUDSBURG (No. 1 seed)

Friday 2:30 p.m. vs. Millersville - W 1-0 away on Oct. 8
vs. Shippensburg (2-0) - W 1-0 (OT) away on Sept. 17, W 2-1 (2OT) home on Oct. 22
vs. West Chester (1-1) - W 4-0 home on Sept. 14, L 3-1 away on Sept. 28

Record: 15-3
PSAC Record/Finish: 9-1 (t-1st)
NCAA DII Rank: 1

PSAC semis: 14th
PSAC titles: 1 (2015)
PSAC runner-up: 2 (2001, 2010)

Goal differential: 50-13
NCAA Offense Rank: 2.78 (3rd)
NCAA Defense Rank: 0.71 (4th)

Head coach: Sandy Miller
Record (Years): 391-262-11 (33rd)
Career: same
PSAC titles: 1

All-PSAC selections
1st - Emily Howell (B) (Defensive Athlete of the Year)
1st - Morgan Firestine (B)
1st - Desiraye Mack (M)
1st - Robin Stevenson (F)
2nd - Sydney McCarthy (M)
Sandy Miller - Coach of the Year

Goal Leaders
11 - Robin Stevenson
8 - Bailey Quinn
7 - Desiraye Mack

Assist Leader
8 - Paige Harrold

Goalkeeper
Danielle Ard (0.71 gaa … 0.838 save percentage … 18 games (18 starts) … 7 shutouts)



SHIPPENSBURG (No. 2 seed)

Friday 12 p.m. vs. West Chester - W 3-1 home on Oct. 4
vs. East Stroudsburg (0-2) - L 1-0 (OT) home on Sept. 17, L 2-1 (2OT) away on Oct. 22
vs. Millersville (1-0) - W 1-0 away on Oct. 12

Record: 16-2
PSAC Record/Finish: 9-1 (t-1st)
NCAA DII Rank: 2

PSAC semis: 23rd
PSAC titles: 1 (2005)
PSAC runner-up: 9

Goal differential: 42-6
NCAA Offense Rank: 2.28 (9th)
NCAA Defense Rank: 0.32 (1st)

Head coach: Bertie Landes
Record (Years): 298-76-1 (18th)
Career: 482-132-17 (37th)
PSAC titles: 1

All-PSAC selections
1st - Taylor Fisher (B)
1st - Ally Mooney (GK)
2nd - Emily Barnard (F)
2nd - Brooke Sheibley (M)
2nd - Suzanne Muller (B)
3rd - Katelyn Grazan (F)
3rd - Kylie Huffman (M)

Goal Leaders
9 - Katelyn Grazan
6 - Emily Barnard
6 - Noelle Kephart

Assist Leader
4 - Cassie Rawa
4 - Hannah Selassie

Goalkeeper
Ally Mooney (0.27 gaa … 0.926 save percentage … 18 games (18 starts) … 12 shutouts)


WEST CHESTER (No. 3 seed)

Friday 12 p.m. vs. Shippensburg - L 3-1 away on Oct. 4
vs. East Stroudsburg (1-1) - L 4-0 away on Sept. 14, W 3-1 home on Sept. 28
vs. Millersville (1-1) - L 3-1 away on Sept. 20, W 3-2 (OT) home on Oct. 26

Record: 13-6
PSAC Record/Finish: 8-2 (3rd)
1st Round: W 4-1 vs. IUP
NCAA DII Rank: 7

PSAC semis: 6th
PSAC titles: 2 (2012, 2014)
PSAC runner-up: 1 (1982)

Goal differential: 58-35
NCAA Offense Rank: n/a
NCAA Defense Rank: n/a

Head coach: Amy Cohen
Record (Years): 99-26 (6th)
Career: 127-69 (11th)
PSAC titles: 2

All-PSAC selections
1st - Rachal Toppi (F) (Athlete of the Year)
1st - Dayle Paustian (M)
2nd - Marnie Kusakavitch (F)
2nd - Maya Gulliksen (B)
3rd - Mackenzie Mlkvy (B)

Goal Leaders
23 - Rachal Toppi
12 - Marnie Kusakavitch

Assist Leaders
10 - Kaitlin Hatch
8 - Dayle Paustian

Goalkeeper
Sarah Krause (1.74 gaa … 0.708 save percentage … 19 games (19 starts) … 4 shutouts)


MILLERSVILLE (No. 4 seed)

Friday 2:30 p.m. vs. East Stroudsburg - L 1-0 home on Oct. 8
vs. Shippensburg (0-1) - L 1-0 home on Oct. 12
vs. West Chester (1-1) - W 3-1 home on Sept. 20, L 3-2 (OT) away on Oct. 26

Record: 15-4
PSAC Record/Finish: 7-3 (4th)
1st Round: W 2-0 vs. Bloomsburg
NCAA DII Rank: 4

PSAC semis: 16th
PSAC titles: 3 (1985-86, 2013)
PSAC runner-up: 4 (1989, 2012, 2014-15)

Goal differential: 40-12
NCAA Offense Rank: 2.11 (10th)
NCAA Defense Rank: 0.64 (2nd)

Head coach: Shelly Behrens
Record (Years): 118-63 (9th)
Career: 195-183 (19th)
PSAC titles: 1

All-PSAC selections
1st - Aliza Mizak (F)
1st - Margaret Thorwart (M)
1st - Taylor Parker (B)
3rd - Olivia Hershey (F)
3rd - Courtney Weaver (M)
3rd - Samantha Rumler (GK)

Goal Leaders
7 - Aliza Mizak
6 - Margaret Thorwart

Assist Leaders
6 - Margaret Thorwart

Goalkeeper
Samantha Rumler (0.58 gaa … 0.784 save percentage … 19 games (19 starts) … 9 shutouts)