BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The fifth-seeded East Stroudsburg University women's soccer team was topped by fourth-seeded Millersville, 3-1, in an NCAA Division II First Round matchup on Thursday at Bloomsburg University's Steph Pettit Stadium.
The Warriors close out their 2019 campaign with a 14-7 overall record, as they made their sixth-straight appearance in the NCAA DII Tournament. Millersville advances to face top-seeded Bloomsburg in a Second Round matchup on the Huskies' home turf this Saturday at 2 p.m.
Millersville struck for the game's first goal just under three minutes into the match. Off a corner kick, Kay Liebl, Millersville's leading scorer on the season, sent a cross to the middle of the box. Lauren Downey was there to redirect a header into the lower left corner past a diving Mauri Jackson to give the Marauders the early 1-0 lead.
ESU wasn't able to find the game-tying goal for the remainder of the first half despite outshooting the Marauders by a 5-4 margin in the stanza. Monica Wood and Hailee Reinhardt registered ESU's two shots on target in the half, but they were each turned away by MU goalie Reagan Kolinski.
The Warriors ramped up the pressure in the offensive end early in the second half, and it paid off as they registered the game-tying goal in the 54th minute. Haley Skove carried the ball down towards the end line before crossing one in front of net. Wood was there to one-time it just inside the far post for the equalizer, tying things at 1-1 with 36 minutes still remaining in regulation.
ESU's Corryn Gamber nearly put the Warriors ahead on a pair of occasions late in the contest. With 13 minutes showing on the clock, Hailee Reinhardt played a long cross into the box and Gamber won it in the air over a defender and the goalkeeper. Her header sailed just high of the crossbar, as the game remained even.
Minutes later, a header was flicked to Gamber, who got behind the defense in the box. She fired a low shot towards the left side of the net, but Kolinski made a lunging save to keep the Warriors off the board.
In the 84th minute with the game still knotted at 1-1, Liebl brought the ball down the right sideline and sent a cross to the far side of the box, where she connected with Michelle Belcher, who sent a header into the back of the net to put Millersville on top, 2-1.
In the final minutes of the match, ESU had the ball in MU territory and pushed the backline forward as the Warriors looked for the equalizer. The Marauders forced a turnover just inside the midfield line, and Kylie Sullivan went in on a breakaway. Jackson came off her line to cut down the angle, but Sullivan was able to slot it inside the left post for the insurance goal, which helped secure the victory for the Marauders and send them on to the NCAA Second Round.
ESU outshot Millersville 15-12 in the contest, and also held a 5-3 advantage on corners.
The game marked the fourth matchup between ESU and Millersville this season. The Marauders came away with a pair of one-goal wins over the Warriors during the regular season, before ESU pulled out a 1-0 overtime victory at Millersville in the PSAC Quarterfinals last Tuesday. MU got the win in the fourth and final meeting on Thursday for the program's first NCAA Tournament victory.
