EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – The East Stroudsburg University field hockey team pulled off a massive victory on Saturday, defeating the nation's No. 1 and previously undefeated Shippensburg Raiders in a fiercely contested 3-2 matchup at Whitenight Field. The Warriors secured the win by fending off a late-game run by the Raiders.
Notables
Alex Eagles opened the scoring for ESU, netting the first goal of the game in the second quarter.
Elaiana Rivera-Lagalla and
Kerry Kaufman also found the back of the cage for the Warriors.
Minke Klijn and
Emma Friend each recorded an assist. Klijn leads the Warriors with ten goals and eight assists on the season.
ESU's offense generated 12 shots overall, putting 11 on goal. Shippensburg also registered 12 shots, but only 6 were on goal.
The Warriors held a slight advantage in penalty corners, earning seven compared to Shippensburg's six.
Goalkeepers
Sydney Pope (30:00 minutes played, 2 saves) and
Jet Vermeulen (30:00 minutes played, 3 saves) combined for five saves to secure the victory.
How it Happened
The first period of action was scoreless, with both teams recording one penalty corner. ESU broke the deadlock early in the second quarter when
Alex Eagles scored the game's first goal at the 17:10 mark. The Warriors carried that 1-0 lead into the halftime break.
The third period brought a flurry of scoring activity. Just 1 minute and 16 seconds into the quarter, ESU extended its advantage as
Elaiana Rivera-Lagalla found the net, assisted by
Minke Klijn, making the score 2-0. Shippensburg responded midway through the quarter when Kelly Naude scored at 36:01, assisted by C. Caracotche Picone.
ESU regained its two-goal cushion just over four minutes later. At 40:08,
Kerry Kaufman scored, assisted by
Emma Friend, pushing the Warrior lead to 3-1. The Warriors maintained control through the end of the third period.
Shippensburg ramped up the pressure in the fourth quarter. Elaina Fragassi scored an unassisted goal at 49:36, bringing the Raiders within one goal, 3-2. Despite late pressure from the Raiders, including a penalty corner at 53:03 and shots toward the end of the game, ESU's defense held strong to seal the triumphant 3-2 victory.
Up Next
The No. 4 ESU Warriors (11-2, 2-2) will travel to No. 6 Bloomsburg (11-1, 3-1) on Tuesday, October 14 for a 6:00 pm conference match up.
