SPARKILL, N.Y. – The top-ranked East Stroudsburg University field hockey team didn't skip a beat as the Warriors raced past St. Thomas Aquinas, 7-1, on Saturday afternoon in the 2023 season opener at Spartan Field.

Dating back to the 2022 season, the Warriors (1-0) have won eight consecutive games and are now victorious in the opener for the 14th time in the last 15 seasons. The Spartans dropped to 0-2 early in the campaign.

Notables

• Senior Hanna Lewis, who recorded her first career hat trick, scored ESU's first goal of the season to put the Warriors ahead 1-0 at the 3:13 mark in the first quarter. Lewis added goals for ESU at the 42:12 and 46:52 time stamps.  
• The Warriors pushed their edge to 2-0 at the 13:17 mark as graduate student Madison Kline converted a penalty stroke for her 16th career goal
• Less than 40 seconds later, senior Grace Lesh closed out the first quarter strong for the Warriors, scoring a goal off a pass from fellow classmate Lisa Larsson to put ESU ahead 3-0.
• Lia Parker continued the onslaught for the Warriors as the graduate student blasted in her first goal of the season (17:43) and 13th of her career to give ESU a 4-0 edge
• STAC got on the board late in the first half when Adriana Alfisi found the back of the net off a pass from Erin Bacalles to cut the Spartans' deficit to 4-1
• Junior Jady van Gils got the scoring started for ESU in the second half with a backhanded blast at the 35:17 mark to extend ESU's lead to 5-1.
• Nicole Krozser, Kline and Larsson each collected assists for the Warriors
• Senior Amy Supey allowed one goal in 45 minutes and in her ESU debut freshman Jet Vermeulen made two saves in 15 minutes
• Holding a majority of possession, the Warriors had the advantage in shots (21-3), shots on goal (14-3) and penalty corners (21-4)
• 39th-year head coach Sany Miller collected her 480th career victory, needing seven more to move into third all-time among NCAA Division II

How it Happened
3:13 | Applying early pressure, the Warriors took advantage of their second penalty corner of the afternoon to take a 1-0 lead over STAC. After an initial shot by Kline from the top of the circle was blocked, the teams battled for the ball with Lewis getting a stick on it to score the game's first goal.

13:17 | The Spartans committed a tripping foul on a breakaway chance for the Warriors which resulted in a penalty stroke for the Warriors that Kline burried to make to give the Warriors a 2-0 lead.

13:56 | After an initial pass off the penalty corner swung through the circle, Larsson sent the ball across the front the cage from the ride side to Lesh, who scored the Warriors third goal of the quarter.

17:43 | Receiving the pass off the penalty corner, Parker dribbled the ball and made a stick move to her right before unleashing a blast into the bottom right corner of the cage to put ESU ahead 4-0.

28:46 | Following a turnover by the Warriors in the defensive end, Bacalles carried the ball into the right side of the offensive zone before sending a pass to the back post for Alfisi, who scored the Spartans first goal.

35:17 | With ESU on the counterattack, the Warriors made a series of passes that ended up on the stick of van Gils at the top of the circle before she dribbled to her left and delivered a backhanded blast for the fifth goal of the game.

42:12 | The Warriors were on the offensive attack as Krozser carried the ball through the defensive, dropping off a pass to Lewis, who flicked a shot over the goalkeeper to make the score 6-1 in favor of ESU.

46:52 | ESU capped off the scoring less than two minutes into the fourth quarter when Kline connected on pass with Lewis, who scored her third goal of the afternoon to make the final 7-1.

Up Next
ESU has a quick turnaround as the Warriors travel to Worcester, Massachusetts tomorrow to battle #6 Assumption at 1 p.m. from Brain Kelly Stadium