EAST STROUDSBURG - The East Stroudsburg University men's soccer team will attempt to move one step closer to its 13th PSAC championship in the last 16 years when the Warriors host West Chester in the conference semifinals on Wednesday, Oct. 31 at 4 p.m. at Eiler-Martin Stadium.
Ticket prices for the game are $7 for adults and $2 for students. Students of the 14 PSAC institutions will be admitted for free with a student ID.
ESU (17-2-1, 14-2), the No. 1 seed in the four-team field, is the defending PSAC champion and has won 14 titles in 25 seasons under head coach Jerry Sheska. West Chester (11-9, 9-7) enters as the No. 4 seed and is coming off an 8-1 win over Bloomsburg on Sunday to claim the final spot in the tournament.
The Warriors won both games in the season series, 2-1 at West Chester on Sept. 17 and 1-0 in double overtime last Wednesday at Eiler-Martin Stadium.
No. 2 Lock Haven (12-6, 11-5) will host No. 3 Millersville (11-7-1, 10-5-1) on Wednesday in the other semifinal game. The final will be held on Saturday, Nov. 3 at 1 p.m. at the highest remaining seed.
ESU leads the PSAC in scoring defense, allowing just 15 goals in 20 games, anchored by senior sweeper Copeland Lewis, senior back Jeff Herber and sophomores Danny Drago and Trevor Kelley. All four players have started all 20 games this season, while sophomore Larry Pokrywa has made all 20 starts in goal and has a 0.73 goals against average with five shutouts.
Junior midfielder Roshane Ellison is the top scorer (10 goals) in a balanced attack that includes junior forwards Jason Shegda (9 goals, 3 assists) and Kevin Holmes (8 goals).
Sophomore Jason Rudder has started 12 games between forward and the midfield and has six goals and three assists, while Drago has been the top target on corner kicks and has five goals and three assists this season.
In the midfield, sophomore Toric Robinson has a team-high nine assists and sophomore Shane McFarlane has two goals and two assists. Sophomore Dan Evans has started 15 games and has four assists, while senior Dennis Maldonado stepped into a starting spot for eight games and has contributed two goals and three assists.
ESU has won 18 PSAC men's soccer championships in school history, including a record seven straight from 1997-2003.