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Watch: Coach Miller recognized for 30th season as ESU head coach

EAST STROUDSBURG – Junior forward Gabrielle Seibert scored two goals and sophomore forward Ally Roth broke a 2-2 tie with just under 25 minutes remaining, as No. 9-ranked East Stroudsburg University upended No. 5 Merrimack in its field hockey season opener on Saturday afternoon.

Seibert, who made her third start and entered the season with six career goals, scored the only goal of the first half just under 12 minutes into the game. She scored again 30 seconds into the second half on an assist by Roth before Merrimack came back to tie it at 2-2, on goals by Jessica Otis and Candace Waldie just over five minutes apart.

The game was tied for just 1:45, as Roth scored on a penalty corner on an assist from junior midfielder Becky Gagliardi with 23:40 remaining.

Both teams had scoring chances in the final 20 minutes – including a penalty corner goal by Merrimack that was taken off the board with just under a minute to play after the ball failed to clear the circle – but ESU made the lead stand up.

Before the game, the Warriors recognized head coach Sandy Miller, who opened her 30th season as head coach with her 339th career win, fifth in Division II. She has led ESU to 10 PSAC Tournament appearances, six NCAA Tournament appearances, two PSAC runner-up and one national runner-up finish. She was the NFHCA DII Coach of the Year in 1993, 1994 and 2001 and has coached 40 All-America players since becoming head coach in 1984.

Freshman goalkeeper Madelyn Craver made six saves, including five in the second half, in her first career start. Gina Rosinski had seven saves for Merrimack as ESU held a 15-13 advantage in shots and 6-3 margin in penalty corners.

ESU broke six new players into the starting lineup with Craver and freshman midfielder Desiraye Mack making their first starts. Junior midfielder Alexis Good and junior back Jessica Ferdinand came into the year with one start each, Seibert had made two and sophomore back Amanda Wnorowski had three starts last year.

Roth led ESU with 28 points on 10 goals and eight assists last season and opened this year with one of each. Roth, junior forward Jessica Lawville (12 goals) and graduated forward Lauren Ventrella (10) all scored double-figure goals last season.

Merrimack, coming off back-to-back NCAA DII Final Four appearances, also returned five starters for this season and opened its year with a 4-3 (OT) win at Bentley on Thursday.

ESU hosts Stonehill on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Whitenight Field, the middle game of three-game homestand to open 2013.