Box Score

KUTZTOWN, Pa. – Freshman Melissa Herrera would take matters into her own hands Saturday night as she recorded her first career collegiate hat-trick to propel the East Stroudsburg University women's soccer team past nationally-ranked No. 24 Kutztown, 3-0.
 
ESU (3-0, 2-0 PSAC East) has now defeated Kutztown twice over the past two seasons when the Golden Bears have been ranked nationally. The Warriors shutout Kutztown last October by a score of 2-0 when the Golden Bears were ranked 12th.
 
Kutztown appeared to have control of the game early as the Golden Bears recorded the first three shots on goal in the contest. Sophomore goalkeeper Mauri Jackson was able to stop each of those opportunities by Kutztown in the opening half to keep the game scoreless.
 
The Warriors found themselves with one opportunity on frame in the first half as junior Haley Skove tried to beat Kutztown goalkeeper Jenna Bracken with a header in the 23rd minute. The two sides combined for five corner kicks in the half with Kutztown earning three.
 
The match would remain scoreless early in the second half until Herrera found the back of the net for the Warriors and beat Bracken in the 67th minute with her second goal of the season. Seven minutes later, it would again be Herrera to strike for ESU as she beat Bracken in the 74th minute to make it 2-0.
 
Kutztown continued to apply pressure as it looked to claw it's way back into the match against the Warriors. Herrera would make that task a little harder in the 79th minute as she dribbled past two Golden Bears and beat Bracken to complete the trifecta for the Warriors and make it 3-0.
 
Jackson (3-0) made a pair of stops against the Golden Bears in the second half as she recorded her third-straight shutout for ESU. She made five saves in the contest for the Warriors and extended her shutout streak to 286:21.
 
Sophomore Corryn Gamber and freshman Brienn Seaman each registered a shot on goal in the contest for ESU. Emily Zwiercan was responsible for three of Kutztown's five shots on goal, while Gabby Kane produced the other two.
 
The Warriors host West Chester on Tuesday at 3 p.m. in a PSAC East matchup at Eiler-Martin Stadium. ESU then travels to Mansfield on Saturday afternoon for a PSAC East match with the Mounties.