SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Second-ranked East Stroudsburg emerged from Friday afternoon's high-stakes Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference semifinal matchup with a 2-0 victory over third-ranked Kutztown at Shippensburg's Robb Sports Complex.
It marked the third consecutive appearance by the two schools in the PSAC semifinals, adding to the excitement and anticipation of an already intense rivalry.
Before the game, Kutztown's
Sarah Gatehouse (Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson) was recognized as the 2024 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Champion Scholar, presented to the student-athlete with the highest GPA at each of the PSAC's championship sites.
East Stroudsburg (16-3) seized momentum early, earning three penalty corners in the game's opening minutes. The Golden Bears' (14-5) defense proved resilient from the start, with goalkeeper
Mia Kepler (Wall Township, N.J./Wall) and defender
Danielle Panati (West Chester, Pa./Unionville) each making crucial saves to keep the score level.
The second quarter saw Kutztown earn its first penalty corner, with
Erin Gonzalez (East Earl, Pa./Garden Spot) delivering a powerful shot. The Warriors quickly turned the tables, executing a swift counterattack and scoring the game's opening goal off the stick of Roos Bijman in the 25th minute.
Kutztown responded with renewed intensity in the third quarter, quickly firing two shots on goal after a penalty corner. However, it was East Stroudsburg capitalizing on back-to-back corners midway through the quarter. A goal from Rylie McGrath in the 39th minute extended the Warrior lead to 2-0. Despite the score, Kutztown continued to apply pressure, advancing into East Stroudsburg's defensive zone and fighting to close the gap.
In the fourth quarter, Kutztown looked for any opportunity to cut into ESU's lead.
Juliana Donato (Cedarville, N.J./Schalick) fired the first shot of the quarter and Gonzalez sent two more towards the cage.
The Golden Bears kept pushing until the final whistle, earning their last corner with just 40 seconds left on the clock. Despite their relentless effort, the Bears were unable to break through.
East Stroudsburg will advance to the championship game on Sunday, November 10, where they will face top-seeded Shippensburg University.
Kutztown, the defending NCAA Division II national champion, now turns its focus to the NCAA DII Selection Show on Monday, Nov. 11, at 3 p.m., where it hopes to be one of eight teams named to this year's championship field. The selection show can be streamed at NCAA.com.
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