EAST STROUDSBURG – For the first time since 2018, the second-ranked East Stroudsburg University field hockey team captured a share of the PSAC regular season title as the Warriors shutout IUP, 1-0, on Senior Day on Saturday afternoon at Whitenight Field.
Seniors
Hanna Lewis and
Madison Kline combined for the game-winning goal with 39 seconds remaining as Lewis redirected an initial shot from Kline off a penalty corner to break a scoreless tie.
The Warriors (15-2, 8-1 PSAC), who hold the head to head tie breaker over Shippensburg following a 5-1 victory back on October 18, have earned the right to host the next week's PSAC Tournament for the first time since 2016. IUP concluded the regular season with an overall record of 8-7 and 4-5 mark in the PSAC as the Crimson Hawks earned the sixth seed.
ESU has now defeated the Crimson Hawks in the last 11 meetings dating back to 2014 and hold an all-time record of 30-16-1 against IUP.
Prior to this afternoon's game, the Warriors honored 10 seniors which included
Maddy Barbush,
Grace Hoelbinger,
Madison Kline,
Nicole Krozser,
Lisa Larsson,
Grace Lesh,
Hanna Lewis,
Lia Parker,
Karaline Stelma and
Amy Supey.
Despite missing the 2020 season, ESU's senior class has a remarkable record of 51 wins and nine losses with postseason play on the horizon. Kline, Krozser and Parker have been a part of the program since 2019, helping the Warriors to 70 wins and counting. The 2023 senior class captured the program's third PSAC championship and second NCAA Division II National Championship a season ago while Kline, Krozser and Parker were members of the 2019 PSAC Championship squad.
Notables
- The game-winner from Lewis was the second of her career and it marked the seventh goal of the season for the Lebanon native
- Collecting her fifth assist of the season, Kline moved into the team lead for points with 23
- Finishing with a pair of saves, Supey (15-2) notched her fifth solo shutout of the season and the 16th of her career to extend her school record
- Crimson Hawks' goalkeeper Anita Planella finished with nine saves and Roos van Herel notched a pair of defensive saves
- Despite the 1-0 victory, ESU held huge advantages in shots (23-3), shots on goal (11-2) and penalty corners (11-6)
- Sandy Miller inched closer to 500 career wins as the 39th-year head coach recorded her 494th victory this afternoon
- Despite receiving 12 of the 18 first-place votes, the Warriors held steady at No. 2 in Tuesday's NFHCA Division II National Coaches Poll with 164 points, trailing #1 Shippensburg (165) by one point
- In second edition of the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional rankings released on Wednesday, ESU was No. 2 behind the Raiders
How It Happened
59:21 | After the initial entry pass off the penalty corner found the stick of Kline; the senior unloaded a blast from the top of the offensive zone that redirected off the stick of Lewis into the bottom right corner of the cage to put ESU ahead 1-0
Up Next
ESU awaits the winner of No. 4 seed Mansfield and No. 5 seed Bloomsburg on Friday in the PSAC Semifinals at Whitenight Field. Please return to esuwarriors.com later this week as the game time has yet to be announced.
