KUTZTOWN, Pa. — The East Stroudsburg field hockey team was defeated by Shippensburg in the PSAC Championship semi
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Raiders earned the first corner of the game with a little over nine minutes remaining in the first. Shippensburg got a shot off from the top of the arc, but Elaiana Rivera-Lagalla came up with the block, and Charlotte Simon cleared it to end the chance.
• Shippensburg kept the pressure on after the corner and broke through for the game's first goal a minute later. Anne Gardner passed it across the field to McKenna Boyle, beating a screened Sydney Pope with a shot into the left side of the net.
• The Warriors' first chances of the game came off a sequence in the final five minutes of the frame. Lisa Pasman had possession in the center of the arc, having her shot blocked but earning a penalty corner for ESU. After a pair of shots were blocked and ESU was awarded another penalty corner, Riley McGrath redirected a shot from Alex Eagles just wide of the right post.
• The two teams each had a look at a goal at the start of the second quarter, with Puck de Ruiter and Minke Klijn getting chances as Emma Albee was down, but the Raiders cleared it out of the arc.
• Near the halfway point of the frame, Emma Friend navigated through waves of Shippensburg defenders in the midfield, getting a pass through to Klijn inside the arc, but the junior's attempt was saved.
• Pope made a big stop with 1:30 before the half, knocking down a shot from outside the arc that resulted in a rebound right in front of the net. From five yards out, Boyle's shot was stuffed by Pope and bounced out of danger.
• However, Shippensburg regained possession and was able to double its lead just before halftime. After Pope made another save, her rebound deflected high and behind her, as Gardner knocked it out of midair and into the net with 14 seconds remaining.
• In her first test of the second half, Jet Vermeulen stopped a breakaway early in the third quarter. The Raiders connected on a Hail Mary pass to spring Lilly Cantabene behind the Warriors' defense, but Vermeulen charged out of her net to cut down the angle and prevent a shot from getting off.
• Even with the two-goal lead, Shippensburg kept the pressure on, getting two quick goals off of ricochets and quick passing inside the arc to jump out to a 4-0 lead in the third.
• The Warriors got on the board in the final moments of the third quarter, getting some fortunate bounces off some mishits following a corner. Eagles possessed the ball outside the arc, got it inside to Bella Viruet, who passed it to Friend at the left post. Friend got it in front of the net for Maddie Moline to shoot it into the open cage to end the quarter.
• ESU had life at the beginning of the fourth, immediately scoring in the opening minute. Kerry Kaufman caused a turnover by the Raiders' defense, passed it up to Klijn, who threaded it through the remaining defenders for Friend to have a one-on-one chance with the keeper, putting a backhanded shot in the right side of the net.
• Despite the early goal in the fourth to make it a two-goal deficit, Shippensburg tightened up to prevent the Warriors from getting any closer with time remaining on the clock. In the last play of the game, East Stroudsburg was awarded a penalty corner. Klijn settled the ball right in front of the net, turning to her right and passing to de Ruiter who was off the right post and had an open net to make the final score 4-3.

 
GAME NOTES

• 10 of the last 12 meetings between East Stroudsburg and Shippensburg have been decided by one goal.

 
UP NEXT

• The Warriors wait for the NCAA Selection Show Sunday night at 9:30 p.m. to learn more about their postseason fate.