ESU Field Hockey All-PSAC History

EAST STROUDSBURG – The PSAC announced its 2019 field hockey all-conference and major award winners on Thursday afternoon, with eight East Stroudsburg University players among those honored.

Sophomore Celeste Veenstra earned first-team All-PSAC accolades, while sophomore Hannah Barbush and seniors Kristen English, Emily Spangler, and Maddie Richie were second-team honorees. Junior Jada Martin and seniors Sara Ober and Briana Sassaman landed on the third team.

The Warriors have now received 36 All-PSAC selections over the past six seasons. As a testament to the continuing depth of the program, 17 different players have combined for 20 selections in the last three seasons alone.

Veenstra (Alkmaar, The Netherlands/Cios Haarlem) is one of the two repeat all-conference performers during that span, as she achieved third-team status a year ago after contributing seven goals and one assist during ESU's run to the Division II national championship game. Veenstra has recorded a team-high 20 goals to go along with five assists through the first 18 games this season. She had a seven-game goal streak from Sept. 28 through Oct. 19 that included a hat trick for ESU in a 4-0 win on Oct. 5 against Mercyhurst.

A two-year starter, Spangler (Gettysburg, Pa./Gettysburg) has recorded a career-best five goals so far this season for ESU. She was named to the third team last season after contributing three goals and two assists for the Warriors. Spangler added one assist in the Division II national semifinal matchup between ESU and Pace. She has added one assist and a pair of game-winning goals through 17 games so far this season for ESU.

Barbush (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) has tallied three game-winning goals this season for the Warriors. She scored the lone goal in a 1-0 victory for ESU against nationally-ranked Stonehill on Sept. 8. Barbush has tallied five goals and two assists so far this season and has started all 18 contests for the Warriors.
 
A three-year starter, English (Branchville, N.J./High Point Regional) has started 61 games since her sophomore campaign for the Warriors. She has notched a pair of assists this season and has eight assists in her career at ESU. Serving as a defensive midfielder for the Warriors, English has been one of the key pieces for a Warrior defense that has recorded 23 shutouts over the last two seasons.
 
Richie (Pilesgrove, N.J./Woodstown) has been a staple in net for the Warriors each of the last two seasons, going a combined 32-7 during that span. She has allowed just six goals through 18 starts this season for the Warriors and has the second-best save-percentage in DII this season (0.860). The Warriors are currently second in DII with a 0.43 goals-against average and 0.67 shutouts per game.
 
Martin (Leola, Pa./Conestoga Valley) has started all 18 contests this season for ESU and contributed five goals to go along with three assists. She tallied a hat trick and accounted for four goals in a 6-1 win for the Warriors against Molloy on Sept. 11. Martin notched the game-winner on Oct. 17 in a 2-0 shutout against Bloomsburg.
 
Ober (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) has registered a pair of assists while starting every contest so far this season for ESU. Both of her assists this season have come in shutout victories for ESU (Bloomsburg – Sept. 18 and IUP – Sept. 28). She has appeared in all of ESU's contests each of the last three seasons.
 
Sassaman (Robesonia, Pa./Conrad Weiser) has started every contest for the Warriors over the last two seasons and has been an integral part of a Warrior defense that has been one of the toughest to score against. ESU ranks second in the country in goals-against average and second in shutouts per game.

ESU (16-2) will begin postseason play at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, taking on Millersville (13-6) in a PSAC semifinal matchup at West Chester. The winner will face either the host Golden Rams or Kutztown in the conference championship game at 12:05 p.m. on Sunday.

West Chester, ESU and Kutztown are ranked No. 1 through No. 3, respectively, in the latest DII Atlantic Regional rankings which were released on Wednesday. Millersville is also included at No. 5, with the top three teams after the weekend to receive a berth in this year's DII national tournament. The selection show will be streamed live on NCAA.com at 3 p.m. on Monday.
 
The Warriors and Marauders will meet for the second time in as many days following a 1-0 victory in overtime at Whitenight Field last Wednesday. ESU and Millersville have faced each other three times since 2015 in the PSAC Playoffs with the Warriors recording victories in 2015 and 2017.
 
ESU has allowed a league-low eight goals this season, while Richie leads the conference in save percentage (.860). Veenstra is third in the PSAC with 45 points, while the Warriors lead the conference in goals allowed per game (0.44).