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Thursday
11 a.m. #1 West Chester vs #4 Gannon
1:30 p.m. #2 Kutztown vs #3 ESU  |  Live Stats  |  Live Video

Saturday
1 p.m. PSAC championship game

More: Updated ESU notes below for semifinals


EAST STROUDSBURG - Sophomore forward Monica Wood scored the game-winning goal with 13:13 remaining, lifting three-time defending PSAC women's soccer champion East Stroudsburg University into the 2017 semifinals with a 2-1, come-from-behind win vs. Slippery Rock in the quarterfinals on Tuesday night at Eiler-Martin Stadium.

ESU (13-3-3), the No. 3 seed, fell behind on a Slippery Rock (10-6-2) goal in the sixth minute, but got the game-tying goal from senior forward Molly Vicari in the 34th minute and won it on Wood's goal in the 77th.

The Warriors advance to play No. 2 seed Kutztown (16-2-1) in the semifinals on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. at top-seeded West Chester (15-2-1). The Golden Rams will take on No. 4 seed Gannon (13-3-2) in the first semifinal on Thursday, as the top four seeds all survived the quarterfinals.

ESU improved to 8-0-2 in PSAC Tournament games in the last four seasons, and 5-0 at Eiler-Martin Stadium.

SRU opened the scoring 5:06 into the game when Brooke Testa floated a 30-yard shot over the head of ESU senior goalkeeper Jules Harris which found the back post.

The Warriors leveled it 11 minutes before halftime, as Vicari headed in a corner kick by sophomore back Jessica Woodbyrne for her fifth goal of the season, and the ninth of her career. Woodbyrne picked up her fourth assist to go with four goals this fall.

Wood's game-winner, her team-leading seventh goal of the season, came on a scramble in front after the initial shot by sophomore midfielder Nicole Abbott was saved by SRU's Kylie Downs, who made four saves.

ESU saw out the rest of the game for its second come-from-behind win of the season, previously rallying for a 2-1 (2OT) win vs. Seton Hill on September 9. The Warriors are unbeaten (11-0-1) when scoring the game's first goal, and 2-3-1 when the opponent scores first.

Harris made two saves in her 80th career start for ESU, which had advantages of 13-7 in shots, 6-3 in shots on goal and 8-1 in corner kicks.

ESU improves to 5-0-2 vs. Slippery Rock since the start of the 2014 season, and advanced over SRU in the PSAC Tournament for the third straight year - 2-0 in the semifinals in 2015 (at Gannon), 5-0 in last year's quarterfinals, and 2-1 on Tuesday night.

In the other quarterfinals, West Chester scored a late goal to beat No. 8 seed Bloomsburg 1-0, Kutztown topped Seton Hill 3-0 and Gannon beat IUP 3-1 to set up Thursday's semifinals.

The PSAC Final Four was originally slated to be played Friday-Sunday, but West Chester is also scheduled to host the men's soccer tournament as the No. 1 seed, which was predetermined prior to Tuesday's games.

The PSAC women's soccer championship game will be played Saturday at 1 p.m.

ESU posted a 1-0 win vs. Kutztown on October 18 at Eiler-Martin on a goal by Abbott in the 59th minute. The Warriors are 6-2 vs. Kutztown since 2012, including wins in the 2014 PSAC championship game (1-0 at ESU) and 2016 PSAC championship game (2-1), which was played at West Chester.

ESU head coach Rob Berkowitz has guided both soccer programs to the PSAC semifinals, with the men posting a 3-0 win vs. Mercyhurst in their first round game earlier Tuesday. The men will play top-seeded West Chester, at West Chester, on Friday at 11 a.m.

GAME NOTES / WARRIORS UPDATE

* ESU is listed No. 5 in NCAA DII Atlantic Region rankings released Wednesday (does not include Tuesday's win vs. Slippery Rock)
* top 6 teams in region selected for NCAA Tournament
* PSAC champion receives automatic bid

* ESU improves to 15-6-5 in postseason games under head coach Rob Berkowitz (10-3-4 in PSAC Tournament)
* ESU improves to 11-2-3 in postseason games since 2014 (8-0-2 in PSAC Tournament)

* ESU (2014-16) and Lock Haven (1999-01) are the only PSAC schools to win 3 straight PSAC titles (24th season of PSAC Tournament)
* ESU has won PSAC-best 5 conference titles (1994, 1997, 2014-16), one more than West Chester and two more than Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Slippery Rock.

* Warriors won as No. 1 seed in 2014, No. 7 seed in 2015 and No. 4 seed in 2016.

* Warriors graduated 6 starters from last fall, including entire back four, and lost 3 of 4 All-America selections in school history in midfielder Shea Neal (2-time All-America) and backs Hannah Gombos and Laurel Neira.
* Neal was the PSAC Tournament MVP in each of the last three years, scoring the game-winning goal in wins vs. Kutztown (1-0) in 2014, Edinboro (2-1 OT) in 2015 and Kutztown (2-1) in 2016.

* ESU senior class has 4-year record of 63-16-8 (best in school history)

* ESU has 40-12 goal differential this fall

* Sr. GK Jules Harris, 2016 PSAC Defensive Athlete of the Year, has been named All-Region in each of her first 3 years and was consensus 1st team All-Region in 2016
* 38 career shutouts (32 solo - t-3rd inPSAC history)
* 10 shutouts (8 solo) this year
* 0.70 career goals against average
* 0.62 goals against average this year
* career record of 58-15-7 in 80 starts
* helped ESU advance on penalty kicks in 2015 (quarterfinals) and 2016 (semifinals), both at West Chester

* Sr. M Sammi Ortiz has started all 87 games in her career (most in school history)
* 2-time All-Region and All-PSAC selection (1st team All-PSAC as junior)
* 2 assists this season as defensive midfielder (9 goals, 7 assists in career)

* So. B Syd Hicks (has started 40 of ESU's 41 games in career) moved to center back this year from defensive midfield spot
* Fr. B Erin Thuring (13 starts) and So. B Makena D'Arpino (5 starts) have shared time at other center back spot

* Both outside backs have started all 19 games
* So. Hannah Saggese at right back (7 assists, including 5 - PSAC record vs. DII opponent - in 9-0 win at California)
* So. Jessica Woodbyrne at left back (transfer from Davis & Elkins' 2016 NCAA DII Tournament team)
* 4 goals, 4 assists (assisted on ESU's game-tying goal vs. Slippery Rock in quarterfinals)

* So. M Danielle Cary - 4 goals, 2 assists in 19 games (15 starts)
* started all 23 games as freshman
* Fr. M Haley Skove - 5 goals (t-3rd on team), 2 assists while starting all 19 games

* Jr. F Alex Pickett leads attacking options
* returning 1st team All-PSAC and All-Atlantic Region (led region with 14 goals and 33 points in 2016)
* 5 goals, 4 assists this season
* 23 career goals (t-7th at ESU) and 11 assists in 51 starts
* 5 goals, 4 assists in 13 postseason games

* So. F Monica Wood leads Warriors with 7 goals and 18 points (7g, 4a)
* game-winning goal in 77th minute in 2-1 win vs. Slippery Rock in PSAC quarterfinals
* transfer from DI NJIT

* So. F Jules Sicker had 6 goals, 3 assists in first 11 games (suffered injury on Oct. 4)
* has returned for last 2 games

* Sr. F Molly Vicari has 5 goals in 19 games (8 starts)
* game-tying goal in 34th minute in 2-1 win vs. Slippery Rock in PSAC quarterfinals
* 9 career goals, 8 assists as 4-year letterwinner

* So. M Nicole Abbott has started last 5 games (played in all 19 games)
* 4 goals, 2 assists (2 goals, assist in 5 starts)
* assisted on Wood's game-winning goal vs. Slippery Rock in PSAC quarterfinals
* scored only goal in 1-0 win vs. Kutztown on Oct. 18

* So. F Amy Strauser has goal, assist in 14 games (2 starts) and had 4 goals as freshman
* R-Sr. M Nikki Weiss has played in 13 games (3 starts)
* Fr. M Haven Snyder has played in 9 games and has 1 assist
* So. M Juliane Fitzsimmons has played in 8 games
* Jr. B Danielle Curran has played in 7 games (1 start)

PSAC SEMIFINALISTS

West Chester (15-2-1, 14-2)
* 10 straight wins (1-0 vs. Bloomsburg in quarterfinals)
* beat ESU 1-0 in season opener
* L 1-0 at Seton Hill (Sept. 2) and 2-0 at Kutztown (Sept. 27) - hasn't lost since

* 4 PSAC titles (2006-07, 2009-10)
* 15th straight PSAC Tournament since 2003
* 11th semifinal in last 15 years
* has reached final once in last 6 years (2013 - runner-up)
* eliminated by ESU each of last 2 years

Kutztown (16-2-1, 13-2-1)
* opened season 13-0
* 3-2-1 in last 6 games
* L 1-0 vs. IUP (Oct. 15), L 1-0 at ESU (Oct. 18)
* won 3-0 vs. Seton Hill in quarterfinals

* seeking 1st PSAC title
* runner-up 6 times since 2004 (2004, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2016)
* lost 2014 and 2016 finals vs. ESU (1-0, 2-1)

Gannon (13-3-2, 11-3-2)
* won 3-1 vs. IUP in semifinals
* ESU tied 1-1 (2OT) at Gannon on Oct. 8

* PSAC qualifier for 9th time in first 10 years in conference
* 3rd straight semifinal and 4th in 5 years
* has not reached championship game