EAST STROUDSBURG – No. 23 East Stroudsburg University clinched a PSAC Tournament berth with a 4-1 victory over Shippensburg on Wednesday night in PSAC East women's soccer action from Eiler-Martin Stadium.
ESU (11-4, 10-3 PSAC East) moved into third place in the PSAC East standings with just three games remaining in the regular season. The top-four seeds in both the PSAC East and West will advance to the conference tournament.
Hailee Reinhardt led the way for the Warriors, scoring twice in the opening 12-plus minutes of play to record the first multi-goal game of her collegiate career.
Jules Sicker and
Brienn Seaman added a goal apiece, while
Monica Wood notched a pair of assists and
Jessica Woodbyrne tallied one helper.
Goalie
Mauri Jackson stopped eight shots in goal to match her second-highest total of the season, as she recorded her 11
th victory of the year.
The Warriors struck for the game's first goal just 1:37 into action on Reinhardt's second goal of the season. Wood sent a quick pass to Reinhardt who was stationed in the middle of the field about 25 yards away from goal, where she fired one that beat goalkeeper Kasey Doss over the top for the score.
Just under 11 minutes later, Reinhardt netted her second goal of the game and third of the season. Off a corner, Woodbyrne crossed one into the box and Reinhardt finished off a header to make it 2-0 Warriors.
ESU fired off 14 shots in the opening half, outshooting Shippensburg by a 14-7 margin in the frame.
The Warriors came out of the break strong, as Sicker capitalized just over five minutes into the second half to pad the team's lead to 3-0. Wood slotted a short pass into the box to Sicker, who poked one past goalkeeper Kasey Doss for her third score of 2019.
Seaman didn't wait long to add to ESU's lead, registering the team's four goal of the game in the 57
th minute on a rifle from around 20 yards out. Doss made a nice diving attempt to punch the shot over the crossbar, but the ball ricocheted off the pipe and just over the line for Seaman's third goal of the year.
Shippensburg was able to get on the board in the 76
th minute as K.K. O'Donnell's corner connected with Lauren Ocker, who headed one into the back of the net for the Raiders' lone tally of the game.
ESU closed out the 4-1 victory to grab its 11
th win of the season and 10
th in PSAC East play. The Warriors held a 23-15 shot advantage in the match.
The Warriors hit the road for a match at Lock Haven this Saturday, November 2 at 2:30 p.m.