EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. — In an early battle for the top spot in the PSAC East, the ESU women's lacrosse team came out on top against No. 10 West Chester, winning 18-12. The Warriors improved to 10-0 on the season in their fifth conference win.
NOTABLES
- Sadie Kauffman led the charge offensively for ESU, finishing with 10 points, tying her season high set at Kutztown. She scored seven goals and dished out three assists, securing eight draw controls and two ground balls as well.
- Paige Moreland was second on the team with four points. She scored once herself, but primarily worked as a passer, finishing with three assists.
- Hannah Schiemer, Jolee Roth, and Ariana Tucci all ended with three points. Tucci and Schiemer both recorded hat tricks, as Roth's stat line was made up of a goal with two assists.
- The Warriors had a strong defensive showing in terms of creating turnovers, as nine different players caused one. Katie Bullen led the team with four, as she also had four ground balls and two goals. Emily Varilla and Sydney Jarka each had two caused turnovers, as Varilla picked up two ground balls and Jarka finished with a game-high six.
- ESU turned to Madison McBride in net, as the sophomore picked up the first win of her career. She made eight stops on 15 shots on goal, while also coming up with three ground balls and a caused turnover.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Golden Rams struck first with 12:32 remaining in the first quarter, but would be called for a yellow card the next time ESU had possession. Kauffman would get her first of the day to cash in on the advantage for the Warriors, evening the score one minute later. However, West Chester, still down a player from the non-releasable card, secured the draw control and ended up retaking the lead off a tally from Lila McMahon-Skates with 10:23 to go in the frame.
- The Warriors, as they've done frequently this season, got two quick goals in succession to jump out in front during the next minute and a half. Schiemer scored her first off a free-position shot while the Warriors were man-up. On the ensuing draw control, Molly Atwell secured possession and quickly passed it to Kauffman, who was already running towards the net. The sophomore finished the play to give the Warriors the lead six minutes into the game.
- ESU would strike two more times in the opening quarter, extending its lead to 5-2. An errant West Chester pass from behind the net made its way out to midfield, allowing Tucci to turn north and start a fastbreak. Once she entered the attacking zone, the ball went around the top of the arc until Kauffman dished it down to Roth, who cut inside and beat the goalkeeper for the tally. Roth would help on the next goal as well, fitting a pass to the middle of the field where Bullen would finish the chance for the final goal of the quarter.
- A 5-2 run for West Chester would tie the game up at seven goals apiece, as Kendall Fortune scored with 3:37 remaining in the half. Getting the Warriors back in front, Carly Brady was at the right place at the right time to finish off a clear for ESU as she picked up a loose ball. Once she had possession, the Golden Rams defenders were out of position, leaving Moreland all alone in front of the net. Moreland finished off the chance to give ESU an 8-7 lead, which was also Brady's first career point.
- The attack continued for the Warriors, as they'd extend their lead to three at the break. After a West Chester green card, Kauffman dodged in from the left side towards the middle, collapsing the defense. Tucci was left open on the perimeter and was able to cut in towards the net after receiving the pass, beating West Chester's goalkeeper to the far post. The Golden Rams were called for another green card 21 seconds before halftime, and the Warriors made them pay. With the clock winding down, ESU quickly moved the ball around until it got to Roth behind the net. She found Schiemer open on the crease for the quick look, converting to put ESU up 10-7.
- ESU got the first two goals coming out of halftime, capping off a 5-0 run to reestablish its lead. Moreland ran around from behind the net and drew Schiemer's defender to her, creating a passing lane to connect with the senior, who buried it a minute and a half into the third quarter. The Tucci-Kauffman connection worked again shortly after, as Kauffman's drive drew Tucci's defender, and the junior snuck a shot in down low.
- The Golden Rams scored the next three goals, making it 14-11 with 14:22 to go. Shutting the door, the Warriors closed the game on a 4-1 run, with West Chester's only goal the rest of the way coming with 21 seconds remaining. ESU stopped the Golden Rams' comeback attempt with a goal right after their 11th one, as Izzie Mintz's defender followed Moreland behind the net, giving her an open look once Moreland dumped it off to her for a 15-11 lead. ESU essentially put the game away with two more goals in 12 seconds halfway through the quarter. Bullen cashed in on a free position attempt for the first half of the pair of goals. Then, off the following draw control, Kauffman took it herself to sprint by the West Chester defense, scoring her seventh goal of the game.
GAME NOTES
- With Kauffman's 10-point performance, she reached 200 career points in just 31 games played. She moved into 10th place all-time in program history, as she's recorded 53 goals and 18 assists for 71 points this season.
- McBride, who had not yet recorded a decision in her five games played leading up to today's contest, finished with a career-high eight saves in 38:53 of time in net. She faced 24 total shots, only allowing seven goals for a .533 save percentage.
- ESU's win streak to start the season has now reached 10, still trailing only 2022's 11-0 start as the longest streak to open a season. ESU can match that streak in its next game against Shepherd and would sit one game back of the program's longest overall winning streak, which was 12 in 2017.
UP NEXT
The Warriors host the Rams for Senior Day at noon on Saturday, March 28 at Whitenight Field.
Gallery: (3-25-2026) ESU WLAX vs. West Chester
