EAST STROUDSBURG – East Stroudsburg University held onto the No. 8 spot in the latest IWLCA Division II coaches' poll released on Monday.
The Warriors (6-2, 3-0 PSAC) cruised to a pair of PSAC victories last week, defeating Millersville and Edinboro by a combined margin of 34-8. They will take a four-game winning streak into a home matchup against No. 4 West Chester at 4 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon.
The top four remained unchanged, with Le Moyne, Adelphi and Florida Southern maintaining their No. 1-3 rankings above West Chester. Rollins leapfrogged Lindenwood to move into the No. 5 position.
Wednesday's contest between ESU and West Chester will be a rematch of last year's Atlantic Region final, which the Warriors won by a 16-14 final. The Golden Rams won the 2018 regular season meeting by a 14-7 decision last March.
The teams will meet at Whitenight Field for the first time since 2016, when ESU was edged 9-8 in double overtime. The Warriors have won two of the last three meetings, including a 17-12 triumph during the 2017 regular season.
West Chester (6-1, 3-0 PSAC) has won five-straight since falling 10-9 in overtime vs. Le Moyne on March 7. The Golden Rams are coming off an 18-10 road win at Seton Hill over the weekend.
Junior
Hana Cicerelle has totaled a team-high 24 points (15 G, 9 A) during ESU's current four-game winning run. The last of her five goals at Edinboro on Saturday was the 100th of her collegiate career, and she recorded her second eight-point game of the season.
Senior
TJ Jefferis (11 G, 5 A), senior
Emma Rufolo (9 G, 6 A), sophomore
Krista Mitarotonda (11 G, 1 A) and sophomore
Shannon Dent (4 G, 6 A) have also totaled 10 or more points in the past four contests. Mitarotonda has won 20 draws during that span, while Rufolo has led the way with 19 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers. Junior
Tatyana Petteway has made 39 saves with a .600 save percentage in goal.
After Wednesday's encounter, ESU closes out the week with a 12 p.m. home game vs. Slippery Rock on Saturday afternoon. That contest will also be the team's fourth annual Alyssa Oxenford Memorial Game.
Oxenford, a three-year starter at defender for the Warriors, passed away in August 2015 after being diagnosed with leukemia the previous year. Donations collected at the game will benefit a scholarship through the ESU Foundation awarded in Alyssa's name.
IWLCA Division II Coaches' Poll – March 25, 2019
| Rank |
Institution |
Points |
FPV |
Record |
Last Poll |
| 1 |
Le Moyne |
625 |
25 |
7-0 |
1 |
| 2 |
Adelphi |
598 |
0 |
7-0 |
2 |
| 3 |
Florida Southern |
570 |
0 |
8-1 |
3 |
| 4 |
West Chester |
556 |
0 |
6-1 |
4 |
| 5 |
Rollins |
502 |
0 |
9-0 |
6 |
| 6 |
Lindenwood (MO) |
474 |
0 |
9-0 |
5 |
| 7 |
Regis (CO) |
445 |
0 |
9-0 |
7 |
| 8 |
East Stroudsburg |
418 |
0 |
6-2 |
8 |
| 9 |
LIU Post |
400 |
0 |
6-2 |
9 |
| 10 |
Tampa |
357 |
0 |
6-2 |
10 |
| 11 |
Limestone |
356 |
0 |
9-1 |
11 |
| T-12 |
Colorado Mesa |
301 |
0 |
8-1 |
14 |
| T-12 |
UIndy |
301 |
0 |
8-1 |
T-12 |
| 14 |
Queens (NC) |
288 |
0 |
8-2 |
15 |
| 15 |
Pace |
282 |
0 |
3-4 |
T-12 |
| 16 |
New Haven |
266 |
0 |
5-2 |
17 |
| 17 |
Mercy |
216 |
0 |
6-2 |
18 |
| 18 |
Merrimack |
178 |
0 |
3-4 |
16 |
| 19 |
Bentley |
171 |
0 |
4-1 |
20 |
| 20 |
Assumption |
160 |
0 |
6-2 |
19 |
| 21 |
Grand Valley State |
114 |
0 |
6-3 |
22 |
| 22 |
Saint Leo |
112 |
0 |
11-0 |
24 |
| 23 |
New York Tech |
83 |
0 |
5-2 |
23 |
| 24 |
Mercyhurst |
61 |
0 |
6-2 |
21 |
| 25 |
Mount Olive |
32 |
0 |
8-3 |
NR |
| RV |
Bloomsburg |
29 |
0 |
6-2 |
25 |
| RV |
Stonehill |
24 |
0 |
5-2 |
NR |
