October 27, 2009

PSAC Field Hockey Tournament page

EAST STROUDSBURG – East Stroudsburg University will make its first appearance in the PSAC field hockey playoffs in seven years when it takes the field for its semifinal game on Friday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. at Shippensburg’s Robb Sports Complex.

The Warriors (14-6, 5-3), the No. 2 seed in the PSAC East, will take on tournament host Shippensburg (18-1, 7-0 PSAC West) in the second of Friday’s semifinal games. PSAC East top seed Bloomsburg (18-1, 7-1) plays Mercyhurst (9-7, 5-3) in the first contest at noon.

ESU is making its 10th trip to the PSAC playoffs in 26 seasons under head coach Sandy Miller and has advanced to the championship game one time, with a 2-1 overtime victory against Shippensburg in 2001.

The Warriors are led by a pair of dynamic scorers in junior forwards Caitlin Brownley and Jessica Frantz. Brownley has 19 goals and eight assists this season, while Frantz has contributed 14 goals and 10 assists in her first year at ESU after transferring from IUP, where she was a second team All-American in 2008. Junior Brittany Kocis has also added six goals and four assists up front.

ESU has also received contributions from seven other players who have started all 20 games this year, including all four backs – junior Kayla Cilenti and Kira Edelman, sophomore Lucrezia Manzione and freshman Mical Fink – in front of sophomore goalkeeper Maureen Ordnung, who has a 1.58 goals against average, .807 save percentage and four shutouts.

Kierstyn DeNardo (2 goals, 4 assists) and junior Joanna Reckley (3 goals, 8 assists) have both started all 20 games in the midfield and sophomore Amanda McGuire (3 goals, 2 assists) made 19 starts this season.

Shippensburg won both meetings with the Warriors this year, 3-0 at ESU on Sept. 2 and 3-1 at home on Oct. 10. Sophomore Kristina Taylor leads the PSAC in goals (23) and points (53), and the Lady Raiders have scored more than four goals per game while posting 11 shutouts in 18 contests.