EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. — The ESU women's lacrosse team made a statement in its victory over No. 14 Adelphi on Saturday afternoon, defeating the Panthers 24-9 in its largest win over a ranked opponent.
NOTABLES
- Paige Moreland had a record-setting day at attack. She finished with five goals and six assists, totaling 11 points. Moreland set career-highs in goals, assists, and points in a single game.
- Moreland was one of three players to finish with five goals, and also one of three players to register six assists. Lauren Hallman and Sadie Kauffman were the other two who scored five times, while Ariana Tucci and Jolee Roth each tallied six assists.
- Hallman was efficient with her shots, going 5-5 on her shot attempts. She also finished with one assist and a caused turnover.
- Kauffman had another typical day for her standards, playing a huge factor on offense and on draws. Going 2-2 on free position attempts, she also finished with one assist, securing seven draw controls in the process.
- Tucci and Roth finished second and third on the team in points on the day, recording eight and seven, respectively. Tucci scored twice on two shots on goal, while Roth found the back of the net once and came up with two draw controls.
- Also on draw controls, Emily Varilla and Alexis Neumen helped the Warriors build their lead with their dominance in the midfield. Varilla tallied five draw controls, and Neumen finished with four.
- On the defensive end, Molly Atwell and Katie Bullen shut down the Panthers offense. Each finished with three caused turnovers and three ground balls, with Bullen also finishing with three goals, an assist, and a draw control.
- Abby Simonetti got her fifth win of the season as ESU improved to 5-0. Simonetti made four stops and picked up a ground ball in 45:00 of play.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Panthers struck first, opening the scoring with one second remaining on the shot clock. Rita Sefransky scored for Adelphi after the visitors secured the draw control, giving them an early lead. The Warriors responded with three goals in the next three minutes to jump ahead. Roth cut around the crease off a feed from Moreland for the Warriors' first goal, and Hallman and Izzie Mintz added to their total with quick shots from the net front. The Panthers would get a goal back after winning the ensuing draw, and after Hallman struck again to make it 4-2, Ashley Kolomechuk made it a one-goal game again halfway through the first.
- From the final 6:56 of the first quarter to the last 10 seconds of the half, ESU went on a 13-0 run, dominating the Panthers to build up a 13-goal lead going into halftime. Of the Warriors' goals during the stretch, Kauffman scored four, Moreland and Hallman scored three, and Bullen, Mintz, and Tucci each netted one to give ESU a 17-4 first-half lead.
- The second half had more pace to it as the game was in a running-clock situation with the Warriors' lead still in double-digits. The Panthers outscored ESU 3-2 in the third quarter, with Tucci scoring a man-down goal and Bullen tallying the other for ESU in the frame. They shut down the Panthers for the majority of the fourth quarter, outscoring them 5-0 before two goals in the final 12 seconds for Adelphi made the final score 24-9.
GAME NOTES
- With 11 points, Moreland tied the program record for points in a game, going back to 2004. Her output matched Tucci's career game last season at Lock Haven, and two performances from Emily Mitarotonda against Shippensburg and Shepherd in 2024.
- ESU's 24 goals and 15-goal margin were its largest ever versus a ranked opponent. The Warriors' previous program-high for goals against a ranked opponent was 19 against No. 22 Mercyhurst in 2018, and they broke their recently-set record of a 13-goal margin from this season from their 16-3 win over No. 17 Seton Hill.
- The Warriors have now scored 20 or more goals in three straight games for the first time in program history. Additionally, the 24 goals are the third-most in a game all-time and the most since 1985.
- ESU is now 3-4 all-time against Adelphi, winning two of its last three games against the Panthers. The Panthers previously had the series advantage in terms of most goals scored by a team in the head-to-head matchup and largest margin of victory, scoring 15 in 2024 against the Warriors and winning by seven in 2003.
UP NEXT
The Warriors enter PSAC play red hot, winning all five of their non-conference games as they head down to No. 20 Kutztown this week seeking their fourth ranked-win of the year. The game will begin at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11.
