EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – Despite an even first quarter and a late rally from No. 16 Kutztown, No. 7 East Stroudsburg pulled away in the second quarter and held on for a 19-9 victory in the ranked rematch Saturday afternoon at Whitenight Field.
The win marked the Warriors' second victory over the Golden Bears this season. East Stroudsburg (12-0, 7-0 PSAC East) defeated Kutztown (7-4, 3-3 PSAC East) 16-6 at Keystone Field on March 11, with both teams scoring three more goals apiece in the rematch.
Kutztown's nine goals tied for the second-most scored against ESU this season. Only No. 11 West Chester (12 goals) and No. 16 Adelphi (9 goals) have reached that mark against the undefeated Warriors.
The first quarter belonged to both teams equally, each scoring three goals. East Stroudsburg struck first with three quick tallies at 14:37, 13:00, and 9:58 before the Golden Bears responded.
Sammy Ruwet (Swedesboro, N.J./Kingsway Regional) broke through twice for Kutztown, scoring at 7:21 and 6:02 to cut the deficit to one.
Maddie Wagner (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) tied it with 2:06 remaining in the quarter, sending the teams into the second deadlocked at 3-3.
The second quarter turned the tide. The Warriors exploded for eight goals with
Madison Wenner (Marmora, N.J./Ocean City) breaking up the run at 2:28, but Kutztown trailed 11-4 heading into halftime.
The third quarter was quiet, with just four total goals. East Stroudsburg added the first three before Kutztown mounted its longest scoring streak of the game.
Katie Yocum (Hanover, Pa./South Western) ignited the run with 2:54 left in the third, sparking a four-goal surge that carried into the fourth.
Alexis Plesic (Hanover, Pa./South Western) continued the momentum just 46 seconds into the final quarter, followed by back-to-back Wenner goals at 11:41 and 10:05 to cut the deficit. ESU answered with two goals before
Isabella Montuori (Bohemia, N.Y./Connetquot) notched Kutztown's ninth—the Bears' only assisted goal of the game, coming off a
Lauren LaMorte (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip) feed with 5:34 remaining. The Warriors closed with three unanswered goals to seal the 19-9 final.
Despite the margin, Kutztown matched East Stroudsburg statistically in several areas. The Warriors held just a slight edge in shots on goal (23-22), and the Golden Bears actually committed fewer turnovers (14-18) and forced more (15-13).
Summer Davis (Beach Haven, N.J./Southern Regional) led the defensive effort with three caused turnovers and a game-high five ground balls.
The gap emerged in draw controls and saves. East Stroudsburg won the draw circle 17-11, and the Warriors goalkeeper made 10 more saves than Kutztown (15-5).
Rowan Hall (Sloatsburg, N.Y./Suffern) and
Katie Yocum (Hanover, Pa./South Western) accounted for eight of the Bears' 11 draw controls, each winning four. Freshman
Camryn Storey (Hanover, Pa./South Western) made all five of Kutztown's saves off the bench, allowing just six goals after entering at the 9:53 mark of the third quarter.
The Golden Bears return home Wednesday, April 8, to face No. 11 West Chester at Keystone Field for their Morgan's Message game. The opening draw is set for 4 p.m.
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