ESU Atop PSAC Standings at 5-1

BY CORY NIDOH
SC Staff Writer

Coming into the past week, East Stroudsburg University’s Women’s Soccer team was ranked sixth in the nation according to the NSCAA/Continental Tire NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer national poll and with good reason.

After being ranked 15th before they entered last week, the Warriors were very stingy when it came to opposition scoring goals, in turn helping them to climb to the sixth spot in the rankings.

The Warriors catapulted in the national rankings as they blanked Gannon and Mercyhurst outscoring the two teams combined 6-0 to improve to 4-0.

The Warriors outscored all their opponents 8-0 before they headed out to Bloomsburg looking for their fifth win of the season.

The Huskies would be the first team to score against the Warriors and would give ESU their first true test of the season.

The two teams needed an overtime period to decide the contest as both teams were tied at two goals apiece heading into OT.

However, the Warriors prevailed as freshman midfielder Shea Neal scored the game winning goal to keep ESU in the win column and unbeaten.

It was the first time the Warriors allowed a goal this season as senior Goalkeeper Brittain Wagner has been very solid in front of the net early in the year.

With the win, it extended their winning streak to five games, tying their second-longest stretch of being unbeaten.

The stretch would come to an end, however, when the Warriors hosted Lock Haven University at Eiler-Martin Stadium this past Saturday.  The Warriors suffered their first loss of the season as Jamie Hunter of Lock Haven scored the only goal of the competition.

The set back was the first for the Warriors since their loss against Slippery Rock in the PSAC Semifinals where they lost 3-0.

ESU will host the PSAC preseason favorites West Chester University who started off the season 1-3 and have rallied to the .500 mark as they are coming off back to back wins over Lock Haven and Bloomsburg.

ESU paces the conference in the standings with their 5-1 record and has scored 15 points, the most in the conference.  The game starts at 4:00 PM.

Email Cory at:
cnidoh@live.esu.edu