EAST STROUDSBURG – For a second-consecutive Friday, East Stroudsburg University will be taking on Millersville in a women's soccer postseason matchup at Bloomsburg.
The Warriors, who defeated the Marauders 3-2 in double overtime in the PSAC semifinals last week, will hope for a similar result in this Friday's NCAA Division II first round matchup, scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.
The winner will advance to take on the host Huskies at 2 p.m. on Sunday. All three teams were recognized in the latest United Soccer Coaches DII poll released on Tuesday, with Bloomsburg ranked No. 5, Millersville No. 15 and ESU among those receiving votes.
The Warriors (14-6-1) saw a four-game winning streak with their 2-1 overtime defeat to Bloomsburg in last Sunday's conference championship. ESU is making a fifth-straight national tournament appearance, advancing to the Round of 16 last season before falling to West Chester in the Atlantic Region final.
Millersville (14-5), the No. 4 seed in this year's Atlantic Region bracket, will be making its first DII tournament appearance in program history. The Marauders fell 4-0 to Gannon in the regular season finale and topped Seton Hill 2-0 in the PSAC quarterfinals prior to its most-recent setback to ESU.
The Warriors have won both meetings between the teams this fall, adding a 1-0 win in the regular season meeting at Millersville on Sept. 23. Junior
Jules Sicker scored the only goal 6:47 into the second half, and freshman
Mauri Jackson matched a season-high with nine saves in goal to secure the shutout.
Junior
Jessica Woodbyrne contributed to all three ESU goals last Friday, assisting on goals by sophomore
Haley Skove and senior
Alex Pickett in regulation, and firing in the game-winning strike on a penalty kick less than three minutes into double overtime.
Pickett's goal contributed to a run which has seen her score in four-consecutive games, vaulting her into the team lead with 23 points on the year (8 G, 7 A). Her 83rd minute goal during Sunday's PSAC final, which gave ESU a brief 1-0 lead, was the eighth postseason goal of her collegiate career.
Millersville had five players earn All-PSAC accolades last week, with Jr. F Kay Liebl, Sr. M Delaney Meadows and So. B Paige Mancini each landing on the first team. Meadows and second team All-PSAC recipient Talia Grynkewicz had the Marauder goals vs. ESU last Friday.
The Warriors have a 26-5-1 edge in the all-time series history between the two teams, including victories in the last eight meetings. Millersville has just one win in the last 20 meetings dating back to 2005, a 2-1 home triumph in 2011.
PSAC schools make up five of the six teams in this year's Atlantic Region bracket, with a full regional schedule for the national tournament's opening weekend available below.
2018 NCAA Division II Women's Soccer Tournament – Atlantic Region
Friday, Nov. 9 (First Round)
No. 3 Kutztown vs. No. 6 West Virginia Wesleyan – 12 p.m. (at West Chester)
No. 4 Millersville vs. No. 5 ESU – 2 p.m. (at Bloomsburg)
Sunday, Nov. 11 (Second Round)
No. 2 West Chester vs. Kutztown/West Virginia Wesleyan – 12 p.m.
No. 1 Bloomsburg vs. Millersville/ESU – 2 p.m.
