Box Score

WEST CHESTER – Sophomore Ally Roth scored her 21st goal of the season, but No. 8-ranked East Stroudsburg University fell at No. 4 West Chester, 6-1, in the first round of the PSAC field hockey tournament on Tuesday afternoon.

West Chester (14-4), the No. 3 seed and two-time defending NCAA Division II champion, advances to face No. 2 seed Millersville (16-2) on Friday at top-seeded and undefeated Shippensburg (17-0). ESU's season closes at 8-11 after making its second PSAC Tournament appearance since 2003.

Alayna Brown scored three goals for West Chester and Nancy Stehman opened the scoring 2:15 into the contest. Brown and Kelsi Lykens also scored first-half goals, and Brown completed her hat trick with two goals early in the second half before Roth scored for the Warriors. Megan Callanan had the game's final goal for the Golden Rams.

Sophomore goalkeeper Alexis Charles tied her career-high with 14 saves for the Warriors and had 40 saves over the final three games of the season.

West Chester held advantages of 27-6 in shots and 20-3 in penalty corners – including 14-0 and 13-1 in the first half. Audree Bonavita had three saves for West Chester.

Roth moved into sole possession of fourth at ESU in single season goals, and third with 47 points on 21 goals and five assists. She led the PSAC in both goals (20) and points (45) in the regular season. She has 31 career goals, two from cracking the Warriors' top 10, and ranks ninth with 75 career points through two years.

Roth's goal was assisted by junior forward Jessica Lawville, her seventh of the season. Freshman forward Emily Howell, who scored the game-winning goal with 54 seconds left in a PSAC Tournament-clinching 3-2 win at Kutztown on Saturday, made the first start of her career.

ESU was making its 11th PSAC Tournament appearance in 30 seasons under head coach Sandy Miller, and was looking for its third opening-round win. West Chester won all three meetings this year and holds a 32-4-6 advantage in the all-time series, including a 29-0-3 mark since ESU's last win in 1960.

Seniors Brielle Kessel, Rebecca Smith and Kaitlin Blum played their final games for ESU. Kessel made her 54th career start and finishes with eight career goals and 10 assists, including four goals and two assists this year. Smith made her 34th start, and Blum made her second start of the season and had her first two career goals this fall.

ESU is projected to return nine starters for the 2014 season led by forwards Roth (21 goals, 5 assists), junior Gabrielle Seibert (9 goals, 7 assists) and junior Jessica Lawville (8 goals, 7 assists).