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EAST STROUDSBURG - Senior back Emily Howell scored in the first half and senior midfielder Desiraye Mack scored with 4:53 remaining, giving No. 1-ranked East Stroudsburg University a 2-0 win over No. 6 Kutztown in the PSAC field hockey opener for both schools on Saturday at Whitenight Field.

ESU (7-2, 1-0), the defending PSAC and NCAA Division II champion, posted its fourth straight shutout to match the second-longest streak in school history.

Howell opened the scoring 8:02 into the game, and the lead held up until Mack converted in the final five minutes. Junior midfielder Ashley Chioda assisted on Howell's opener.

Senior goalkeeper Danielle Ard made three saves in goal for ESU, her third solo shutout (fourth overall) in nine starts this fall. Ard has 11 career solo shutouts (16 overall) in 52 starts for the Warriors.

Both teams had eight shots, and Kutztown (4-3, 0-1) had a 12-6 edge in penalty corners.

Howell was last week's NFHCA DII Defensive Player of the Week after scoring the game's only goal in a 1-0 (OT) win at No. 2 Shippensbug. She scored her fourth goal of the season on Saturday.

Mack, last week's PSAC Athlete of the Week, also scored her fourth goal of the season and the 19th of her career, the most among active Warriors.

ESU improves to 14-4 as the No. 1 ranked team in the NFHCA DII poll, and has been ranked No. 1 in every poll this season after winning its first-ever national championship in 2015.

ESU's four-game shutout streak is its longest since 2004. The Warriors had a school-record five straight shutouts in 1995.

ESU and Kutztown split their two match-ups last season, with both schools winning on the others' home field. The visiting team had won each of the last six meetings (3-3) since 2012, with all six decided by one goal.

The Warriors travel to West Chester on Wednesday and Mercyhurst on Saturday next week. They posted non-conference wins over both schools earlier this season, 4-0 vs. West Chester on Sept. 14 and 7-0 vs. Mercyhurst on Sept. 10.

GAME NOTES
* ESU's 4 straight shutouts are a 4-0 win vs. No. 9 West Chester on Sept. 14, a 1-0 (OT) win at No. 2 Shippensburg on Sept. 17, a 4-0 win vs. Molloy on Sept. 18 and Saturday's 2-0 win vs. No. 6 Kutztown.
* The Warriors haven't allowed a goal since LIU Post scored 1:50 into the 2nd half in a 1-0 win at ESU on Sept. 12.

* ESU has a 24-7 goal differential through 9 games (0.78 goals against average).

* Ard's 11 career solo shutouts are ESU's most since at least 2003 (when solo shutout records are first available)
11 - Danielle Ard (2013-   )
10 - Maureen Ordnung (2008-11)
4 - Katie Fox (2003-04)

* Ard's 16 career total shutouts (35+ minutes played) rank 4th at ESU
31 - Kelly Wagner (1999-02)
22 - Katie Horst (1995-98)
17 - Cindy Tserkis (1993-95)
16 - Danielle Ard (2013-   )
15 - Dawn Strunk (1991-93)