EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. — ESU got back in the win column as it opened up the NCAA Tournament in the Atlantic Region Semifinals, defeating No. 10 West Chester, 23-15.
NOTABLES
- Six of ESU's players had five or more points, including Sadie Kauffman, Izzie Mintz, and Paige Moreland, all recording seven. Kauffman and Moreland's stat lines were inverse of each other, as Kauffman scored five goals and two assists, and Moreland was vice versa. Kauffman finished with the second-most draws, securing nine. Mintz, who came into the game with seven career assists, registered six today, along with a goal.
- Jolee Roth, Lauren Hallman, and Ariana Tucci all finished with five or more points. Hallman and Tucci each had four goals with an assist, while Roth potted five and had a helper.
- Katie Bullen was the last of ESU's players to score, putting together a three-point performance with two goals and an assist.
- Leading ESU in draw controls was Molly Atwell, who secured a career-high 13. She more than doubled her previous career-high, recording six draw controls seven different times.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Golden Rams got off to a strong start, scoring five of the game's first seven goals. Kendall Fortune scored two quick goals for West Chester in the first two minutes, but Roth responded with a man-down goal to get ESU on the board. After West Chester took a 4-2 lead, ESU found its rhythm, scoring three of the next four to end the frame trailing, 5-4.
- The Warriors' momentum picked up steam in the second quarter, as ESU would outscore West Chester 9-2. Kauffman got her first two tallies of the day in the first minute and a half of the period, and Hallman found the back of the net to make it 7-5. Avery Roberts ended the run of five-straight ESU goals with 11:07 remaining, but the Warriors kept pressing on. Kauffman and Hallman each had hat tricks with 7:19 left in the half, and after Roberts scored again, Kauffman and Hallman scored, as well as Roth twice, making it 13-7 with 30 minutes to go.
- ESU looked to be pulling away after jumping out to a 17-8 lead in the third, but West Chester battled back to keep the lead within striking distance. Roth, Tucci, and Mintz all scored to extend the lead to nine, but the Golden Rams countered with the next four goals to make it a five-goal game.
- That would be the closest West Chester would get, as a free-position goal from Roth a minute into the fourth quarter was the first of four consecutive goals for the Warriors. Kauffman's 97th goal of the season and 200th of her career made it 18-12, then Bullen and Tucci capped off the run to make it 21-12 with 8:33 left.
- The teams alternated goals the rest of the way, with the Warriors keeping a healthy lead the rest of the way en route to a 23-15 victory.
GAME NOTES
- Kauffman now sits at 200 career goals, the second player in program history to hit the milestone. She only trails Emily Mitarotonda's 314 tallies from 2021-2024.
- Mintz's six assists were tied for the fifth-most in program history, matching Moreland's and Roth's totals against Adelphi earlier in the season. Additionally, they were also the most in a game by an ESU freshman in program history.
- Roth joined the 200-point club with her first goal of the day, becoming the 11th player in program history to do so. With 96 goals and 109 assists, she's now eighth all-time with 205 points.
- ESU's 23 goals were the most they've ever scored in an NCAA Tournament game. The Warriors scored 18 goals against Seton Hill in 2021 and Frostburg State last season, but have never scored above 20. It's also the largest margin of victory over the Golden Rams for ESU in any setting after defeating them by six earlier in the year.
UP NEXT
After No. 13 Kutztown defeated No. 4 Slippery Rock in the other NCAA Atlantic Region Semifinal today, ESU will host the Golden Bears at Whitenight Field next Saturday with a spot in the NCAA Tournament semifinals on the line.
