EAST STROUDSBURG -- After propelling to the NCAA Tournament Second Round with a 13-3 victory over Mercyhurst, the third-ranked East Stroudsburg University lacrosse team looks to defend its 2021 NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Championship on Sunday at noon at Eiler-Martin Stadium, facing sixth-ranked West Chester in a rematch of the PSAC Championship game.

How to Follow: The contest will be broadcasted on the PSAC Sports Digital Network with Nikolai Busko on the call. Ticketing information and more helpful info can be found on the 2022 Atlantic Region Championship Central site.

How We Got Here: ESU scored the first seven goals in the NCAA First Round matchup against the Lakers, on its way to a 13-3 rout of Mercyhurst. The Warriors shattered three single season records in the matchup at Eiler-Martin Stadium, including wins in a season (18), season goals record (Emily Mitarotonda, 75) and points in a season (Gianna LeDuc, 99). West Chester held a three-goal lead at halftime against Seton Hill, before the Golden Rams finished strong, closing the game with an 11-5 run to defeat the Griffins by a score of 19-10.

Three-Headed Monster: Through 18 games this season, Mitarotonda, LeDuc and Kiki Fitzpatrick all have at least 94 points and have the potential to become the top three point scorers in a single season. As mentioned above, LeDuc broke the school record on Friday, as Mitarotonda (95 points) and Fitzpatrick (94 points) trail their teammate by just four and five points, respectively.

The Series: The Warriors trail the all-time series by a mark of 8-64, but ESU head coach Xeni Barakos-Yoder has claimed six of those wins during her seven years at the helm of her alma mater. Barakos-Yoder is 6-8 all-time against WCU, with the rest of the ESU coaches posting a combined 2-56 mark against WCU since 1964. 

NCAA Tournament History: After never earning a bid until 2017, under the helm of ESU head coach Xeni Barakos-Yoder, the Warriors have earned trips to the NCAA Tournament in five consecutive seasons. The Warriors hold a 6-4 record in the NCAA Tournament and look to earn their third Atlantic Region Championship. Last season, ESU advanced to the NCAA Semifinals with wins over Seton Hill in the NCAA First Round and a dramatic 13-9 win over West Chester in the Atlantic Region final at Eiler-Martin Stadium. 

The Foe: The Warriors and Golden Rams have met three times already this season, with ESU defeating West Chester, 13-9, in a road game on March 22. The Golden Rams got revenge with an 8-7 victory over ESU on April 16, but the Warriors earned its second PSAC title in the most recent matchup with a 15-12 win on May 8 at Seton Hill.

Up Next: The winner between the Warriors and Golden Rams advances to the NCAA Semifinals at Lindenwood University in Saint Charles, Mo., just outside of St. Louis. 

The remaining four teams will be reseeded for the NCAA Semifinals. Teams ESU or West Chester could face in Missouri include Stonehill or Adelphi, Queens or Florida Southern and UIndy or Grand Valley State.