WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Trailing by five goals in the third quarter and three goals with less than 10 minutes remaining, the three-seed East Stroudsburg University lacrosse team scored four goals over the final seven minutes to claim its third NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Championship in four seasons with a 13-12 triumph over previously undefeated West Chester on Saturday afternoon at Vonnie Gros Field.
The Warriors (14-6) advanced to the NCAA Semifinals for the fourth time in program history with a thrilling win. The Golden Rams (20-1) suffered their first loss of the season and were eliminated from postseason competition.
Entering the fourth quarter trailing 11-7, Sophia Graffeo and Lauren Hallman cut the deficit to two at 11-9 before WCU's Kendall Fortune answered for the Golden Rams' lone goal with 10:50 to play. With 7:01 to play, Emily Mitarotonda fired her third goal of the game to start the rally, as Hannah Schiemer cut the deficit back to a single goal with 5:33 left. Mitarotonda fired in her PSAC single-season record 94th goal to knot the score with 4:51 remaining, while Courtney Reynolds rocketed the game-winning goal with 53 seconds left to lift the Warriors to a 13-12 triumph.
The resilient Warriors outscored West Chester 6-1 over the final 13:41 of the fourth quarter in the comeback thriller.
Notables
Mitarotonda – who set the PSAC single-season goals record with her third goal of the game and moved to second all-time in NCAA Division II history with her fourth goal – finished with four goals, four assists, four ground balls, three draw controls, and six caused turnovers to will the Warriors to the comeback. She now has 95 goals and 29 assists for 124 points on the season. Defensively, she has scooped 66 ground balls and caused 59 turnovers while earning 104 draw controls.
The balanced Warrior offense saw seven goal scorers, with Hallman (2G, 1A), Reynolds, and Mac Maloney all ripping two goals into the back of the cage.
Schiemer and Maddy Poltrack each contributed a goal and an assist, while Graffeo also notched a goal for the Warriors. Mary Fitzsimmons and Jolee Roth each contributed an assist.
Molly Atwell caused three turnovers, while Maloney, Schiemer, and Claire Hoffman each scooped two ground balls.
ESU goalkeeper Abby Simonetti (10-6) made eight saves, two more than WCU's Jessica Gorr, which proved to be the difference in the 13-12 final score. Simonetti – the nation's leader in save percentage – also caused a turnover and earned a pair of ground balls in her 10th win of the season.
How It Happened
Mitarotonda opened the scoring with her first goal of the game before WCU grabbed momentum by scoring five of the next six to grab a 5-2 lead. The two squads traded goals to close the first quarter, with the Golden Rams leading 6-3.
Maloney and Mitarotonda sliced the deficit to 6-5, but a WCU goal by Madeline Edinger lifted the home team to a 7-5 lead at halftime.
WCU opened the third quarter with four consecutive goals to build a game-high five-goal lead at 10-5. ESU scored two of the final three goals in the third quarter to cut the deficit to four heading into the final quarter.
Graffeo and Hallman opened the scoring in the fourth frame before WCU tallied its final goal with 10:50 to play. The Warriors seized momentum for good, stunning the Golden Rams with four unanswered goals over the final 7:01 to hand West Chester its first loss of the season in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Championship game.
More Records for Mit
Mitarotonda surpassed Hunter Isnardi (Mercy, 2016-19) for second place in NCAA DII career goals with her 311th career goal and now trails just Sydney Tiemann (Maryville/McKendree 2021-24), who closed her collegiate career on Saturday with her 321st career goal. Mitarotonda now has the most goals for one program in the history of NCAA Division II women's lacrosse. Additionally, the Rockaway, N.J. native broke West Chester's Kathleen Sheehan's 20-year PSAC single-season record of 93 goals set during the 2004 season.
Up Next
The Warriors, who were re-seeded to the four-seed, will meet a familiar foe in Winter Park, Fla., in one-seed Adelphi. On March 9th, ESU handed Adelphi its first of three losses at Whitenight Field in a thrilling 11-10 overtime contest. The Warriors (16-6) will battle the Panthers (18-3) in the NCAA Semifinals on Thursday, May 23rd at 3:00 p.m. with a trip to the NCAA Championship on the line.
NCAA DII All-Time Goals Leaders (as of 5/18/24):
1. Sydney Tiemann, 321 goals (Maryville, McKendree) 2021-2024
2. Emily Mitarotonda, 311 goals (East Stroudsburg) 2021-present
3. Hunter Isnardi, 310 goals (Mercy) 2016-19
4. Hannan Stanislawczyk, 302 goals (West Chester) 2021-2024
5. Katelyn Martin, 299 goals (West Chester) 2003-06
6. Arden Kassaleh, 295 goals (Caldwell) 2017-21
7. Alexandria Quast, 288 goals (Tiffin) 2010-13
T-8. Jacqueline Jahelka, 282 goals (Adelphi) 2014-17
T-8. Emily Roussell, 282 goals (Adelphi) 2013-16
10. Katie Donavan, 275 goals (Chestnut Hill) 2006-09
