Box Score l
Photo Gallery
EAST STROUDSBURG - Sophomore forward
Alex Pickett scored the game's only goal in the 21st minute, giving No. 3-ranked East Stroudsburg University a 1-0 win vs. No. 22 Kutztown and the school record-setting 113th career win for head coach
Rob Berkowitz in PSAC women's soccer on Wednesday afternoon at Eiler-Martin Stadium.
Pickett scored on assists from senior forward
Brielyn Hackett and freshman midfielder
Danielle Cary midway through the first half, and ESU (10-1, 10-0) remained unbeaten in conference play - extending a school record with its eighth straight conference shutout.
Junior goalkeeper
Jules Harris made two saves for her 26th career shutout, one from the school record of 27 held by Stacy Linzenbold (1995-98). Her total includes 23 solo shutouts in 49 starts, with nine shutouts (eight solo) in 11 games this season.
Harris entered the week ranked fifth in NCAA Division II in save percentage (0.927) and sixth in goals against average (0.303).
Pickett, the reigning PSAC Co-Athlete of the Week, scored her team-leading seventh goal of the season and her 10th in the last 15 games, since recording a goal and an assist in last fall's 2-1 (OT) win vs. Edinboro in the PSAC championship game. She has six goals in her last four appearances this year.
ESU had advantages of 17-8 in shots and 8-3 in corner kicks, outshooting Kutztown (8-3, 6-3)by a 10-5 margin in the first half and 7-3 after intermission.
Imani Taylor started and made three saves in goal for KU. Jenna Bracken played the second half and made one save.
Kutztown had won five straight entering Wednesday's contest, and had won the last two regular season meetings vs. ESU (1-0 in 2014, 2-1 in 2015) around the Warriors' 1-0 win in the 2014 PSAC championship game.
The Warriors extended their shutout minutes streak in PSAC games to 772:23 - eight straight conference shutouts, plus the final 52:23 of a 2-1 win vs. Shippensburg on September 3.
ESU has a 23-3 goal differential through 11 games, including 22-1 in 10 PSAC games. The Warriors fell 2-1 at then-No. 5 Adelphi on September 26 for their only loss of the season.
Berkowitz improves to 113-59-19 (.641) in his 10th season at ESU, which includes the 2015 NCAA Division II Atlantic Region title, the 2014 and 2015 PSAC championships, the 2014 PSAC regular season title and five PSAC semifinal appearances in his first nine year.
He breaks the school record of 112 wins held by Derek Arneaud (112-104-15), who coached the Warriors for 12 seasons from 1995 through 2006, including the 1997 PSAC championship.
The Warriors travel to Slippery Rock (7-4, 7-2) for a conference game on Saturday at 1 p.m.
GAME NOTES
* ESU improves to 44-9-3 since the start of the 2014 season (20-1-1 in 2014, 14-7-2 in 2015, 10-1 in 2016)
* ESU entered the week ranked 2nd in DII in shutout percentage (.800) and has posted shutouts in 9 of its 11 games this season.
* ESU's senior back line of
Laurel Neira (71 career starts),
Hannah Gombos (65),
Andrea Polanco (35) and
Liia Carpenter (14) has started all but one game this season, a 5-0 win at Pitt-Johnstown on Sept. 10.
* ESU improves to 7-8-2 all-time (5-4-1 under Berkowitz) when playing in a game between two teams ranked in the NSCAA Top 25.
* ESU and Kutztown met when both teams are ranked for the 3rd time, improving to 2-1 in those games, all played at Eiler-Martin Stadium:
2009 - #17 ESU lost 1-0 vs. #24 Kutztown
2014 - #3 ESU won 1-0 vs. #19 Kutztown (PSAC championship game)
2016 - #3 ESU won 1-0 vs. #22 Kutztown
* ESU improves to 24-4-1 (23-2-1 under Berkowitz) when ranked in the NSCAA Top 10
* ESU improves to 104-7-7 under Berkowitz when scoring the game's first goal (39-1 since 2014)
* ESU improves to 70-0-4 under Berkowitz when leading at halftime (24-0 since 2014)
* ESU's previous school record for consecutive PSAC shutouts was 5 (2014)
* EUS previous school record for best PSAC start was 5-0 (1994, 2013)