EAST STROUDSBURG – After falling twice during the regular season and once in the PSAC semifinals to undefeated No. 4 West Chester, the No. 9 East Stroudsburg University lacrosse team would not let that happen for a fourth time, claiming its second-ever Atlantic Region Championship in the process with a 13-9 victory over the Golden Rams on Sunday afternoon at Eiler-Martin Stadium.
The Warriors (12-3) advance to the NCAA Semifinal round to face Queens University of Charlotte on Friday, May 21 at 4:00 p.m. at Donald J. Kerr Stadium in Salem, Va. The Golden Rams complete its season with a 13-1 record.
PSAC East Freshman of the Year Emily Mitarotonda led the Warriors with five points, registering three goals and a pair of assists. She led the Warriors with four caused turnovers and four draw controls, converting both of her attempts on free position shots.
Seniors Gianna LeDuc (2 goals, 1 assist), Shannon Dent (3 goals), Brielle Curtis (2 goals), graduate student Hana Cicerelle (2 goals) and redshirt sophomore Kiki Fitzpatrick (1 goal, 1 assist) supplied points on the day for the Warriors. Sophomore Maggie Sell scooped six ground balls for ESU on the afternoon.
In the cage, graduate student goalkeeper and ESU's all-time saves leader Tatyana Petteway made nine saves, allowing just two goals during the first half. She now has 755 career saves, which ranks sixth all-time in Division II.
Senior Kayleigh Pokrivka caused havoc with five caused turnovers while also scooping three ground balls. Classmate Kristen Andreychak posted three CTs.
WCU struck first during the sixth minute, but Dent and Mitarotonda fire scores to give ESU's its first lead. At 2-1. WCU would knot the score at two on a goal from Trisha Baud, but Cicerelle's 42nd goal of the season followed by LeDuc's 27th score of the campaign would lift the Warriors to a 4-2 lead.
Right after LeDuc's goal, a 52-minute lightning delay would pause the game temporarily, with both teams, officials and fans heading to secure locations.
During the delay, ESU reportedly stayed loose with a 'dance party' in Zimbar Gym.
Gallery: (5-16-2021) ESU Women's Lacrosse vs West Chester
After the game resumed, the Warriors took momentum, as ESU built a 9-2 lead following a 7-0 scoring run. The seven-goal deficit was the largest the Golden Rams have faced all season. Cicerelle and Dent scored twice during the spree, while LeDuc Curtis and Fitzpatrick each registered a goal during the stretch. The Warriors led 7-2 at the half, before adding two more goals after the intermission.
WCU looked to mount a comeback scoring four the next five goals to cut the deficit to just four at 10-6 with 16:22 remaining in the second half.
Both teams scored three goals the rest of the way, as ESU secured its second-ever trip to the DII final four with a 13-9 win over West Chester.
NOTES
In her sixth season, ESU head coach Xeni Barakos-Yoder picked up her 75th win in 95 career games leading ESU. The ESU alumna has guided the Warriors in all four its NCAA Tournament appearances and both of its Atlantic Region titles in program history.
In a mirror image of ESU's 2018 Atlantic Region Championship, the Warriors defeated an undefeated West Chester squad in its black uniforms to advance to the NCAA Semifinals. The Warriors fell to third-seed Florida Southern, 20-14, in the program's first DII Semifinal appearance.
The win over West Chester snapped a five-game losing streak against the Golden Rams, with ESU posting a 15-14 overtime win at Whitenight Field on March, 27 2019 in its last victory.
With a win over first-seed Queens, fourth-seed ESU would advance to the NCAA Division II Championship game for the first time in program history. The winner of the ESU-Queens matchup will face the winner of second-seed Lindenwood, and third-seed Roberts Wesleyan for the national championship on Sunday, May 23 at 2:00 p.m. at Kerr Stadium.
ESU NCAA REGIONAL CHAMPIONS
1971 - Men's Tennis
1972 - Men's Soccer
1973 - Men's Soccer
1997 - Men's Soccer
2000 - Men's Soccer
2001 - Field Hockey
2002 - Men's Soccer
2005 - Football
2015 - Field Hockey
2015 - Women's Soccer
2018 - Men's Basketball
2018 - Women's Lacrosse
2021 – Women's Lacrosse
