Box Score

EAST STROUDSBURG – East Stroudsburg University hung around for much of the first half in a 19-10 loss to No. 7 Dowling, then learned after the game that they are bound for the PSAC Lacrosse Tournament for the third time in four seasons to cap Senior Day on Saturday at Whitenight Field.

Michelle Mangiaruga had two goals and two assists and Jamie Wesztergom had two goals and an assist to reach 100 career points to lead the Warriors (9-8), who earned their postseason berth after Mercyhurst edged IUP, 12-11, in the final game of the PSAC schedule 360 miles away in Erie.

ESU will head to Gannon, the No. 3 seed, for its first round game on Tuesday at 4 p.m., a rematch of the Warriors' 15-14 (OT) upset of the nationally-ranked Golden Knights on March 29.

The Warriors recognized their seven seniors before the game, then saw the four offensive players combine for six goals and four assists – Mangiaruga (2 goals, 2 assists), Wesztergom (2 goals, 1 assist), Christine Bradley (1 goal, 1 assist) and Molly O'Hara (1 goal). Sophomore Ali Green scored two goals and freshmen Nicole Miller and Sarah Studdiford also scored for ESU.

ESU led 4-2 at the 18:32 mark of the first half after scoring two goals in nine seconds. Mangiaruga opened the scoring and assisted on Green's first goal before Bradley broke a 2-2 tie with an unassisted goal and Green scored on an assist from junior Laura Riegel off the draw control for a two-goal lead.

Dowling (11-2) answered with three goals before Wesztergom got on the board on Mangiaruga's second assist to tie the score at 5-5 just over the midpoint of the first half. Miller and Wesztergom also scored later in the opening period as Dowling took an 11-7 lead into intermission.

Nicolle Moran had four second-half goals for Dowling, all in a four-minute period early in the half, as the Lions opened a 16-8 lead to put the game away. Brooke Witkowski led the Dowling offense with 10 points on four goals and six assists and Moran and Kelly Cefalu also scored four goals.

Dowling held a 42-26 advantage in shots and 21-10 advantage in draw controls, while the Warriors committed just 12 turnovers while forcing 17 to help them stay in the game.

Junior Amanda Simms made her fourth straight start and ninth of the season and had nine saves in goal for the Warriors. Rachael Goldstein made 10 saves for Dowling.

Warriors Notes
* ESU's senior class has won 38 games, the most in a four-year period in school history.
* Xeni Barakos and Brittany Bissell both started at defender for the Warriors. Barakos made her 15th start of the season and 23rd of her career and Bissell made her 65th career start, including 56th straight since her freshman year.
* O'Hara's goal was her 51st of the season and 173rd of her career, extending her hold on 2nd place in school history, and is also 2nd with 214 points. She has 66 points (51 goals, 15 assists) after recording 66 points on 56 goals and 10 assists last season.
* Mangiaruga finishes the regular season with 41 goals, her third straight year with at least 40. She is 3rd with 143 career goals, 5th with 61 assists and moved into 3rd with 204 points.
* Bradley has 86 career goals and 54 assists (6th in school history) for 140 points.
* Wesztergom recorded her 100th point on an assist on O'Hara's goal in the second half, giving her 73 goals and 27 assists. She is the only Warrior to start every game over the last four seasons, making 70 career starts, and is ESU's third-leading scorer with 24 goals and eight assists this season.
* Morgan Knowles, who has not competed this season due to injury, has 32 career goals and 15 assists, including 22 goals and 11 assists as a sophomore.