ESU Selected to Host Northeast Regional

EAST STROUDSBURG - East Stroudsburg University, the No. 1 seed and host for this weekend's Division II Northeast Regional, has placed five players on the Daktronics Northeast Region team, it was announced Tuesday.

ESU was the only school to land three players on the first team in sophomore back Danny Drago (Stroudsburg/Notre Dame), senior back Copeland Lewis (St. Elizabeth, Jamaica/Munro College) and junior forward Jason Shegda (Langhorne/Neshaminy). Junior midfielder Roshane Ellison (St. Elizabeth, Jamaica/Munro College) and sophomore goalkeeper Larry Pokrywa (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville War Memorial) were both named to the second team.

Drago, Lewis and Pokrywa have anchored a defense that has allowed just 15 goals in 22 games and posted 10 shutouts, including four straight 1-0 victories entering the NCAA tournament. Drago has added six goals and three assists from his back position, while Lewis was a first team All-PSAC selection as a junior and has been a three-year starter for the Warriors.

Pokrywa was the Most Outstanding Player of the PSAC championship game, which ESU won 1-0 in double overtime on a goal by Ellison. Pokrywa made five saves against the Bald Eagles and has gone 470 minutes without allowing a goal since Oct. 18. He has posted seven shutouts and has a career record of 25-2-1 through his first two seasons.

Shegda has nine goals and three assists this season despite missing four games due to an injury in the middle of the year and coming off the bench in two others. His nine goals have come on just 33 shots, and include three game-winning goals.

Ellison leads ESU with 11 goals in 2007 and has scored seven goals in the last seven games, including his first career hat trick. The game-winning goal against Lock Haven came 3:45 into the second overtime and gave ESU its 13th PSAC championship in the last 16 seasons.

First team
GK - Russ Francome, Molloy
B - Danny Drago, East Stroudsburg
B - Randy Jean-Baptiste, Bridgeport
B - Copeland Lewis, East Stroudsburg
B - Vincent Tyrell, NYIT
MF - Geoff Bloes, Shippensburg
MF - Ahmodoul Gaye, Dowling
MF - Ashley Rosindale, Lock Haven
F - Mike Luecke, California (Pa.)
F - Blaise Njie, Bridgeport
F - Jason Shegda, East Stroudsburg

Second team
GK - Cosimo D'Agostino, NYIT
GK - Larry Pokrywa, East Stroudsburg
B - Nick Bell, Molloy
B - Andrew Clemens, Lock Haven
B - Josue Cruz, NYIT
B - Marty Snee, California (Pa.)
MF - Roshane Ellison, East Stroudsburg
MF - Phil Liversedge, Lock Haven
MF - Carl Rydin, Dowling
F - Michael Frimpong-Manso, Mercy
F - Paul Huckett, Lock Haven
F - Sean McLaughlin, Millersville