November 2, 2009

EAST STROUDSBURG – East Stroudsburg University will look for its third consecutive trip to the PSAC women’s soccer semifinals when it travels to Kutztown for Tuesday’s quarterfinal game at 1 p.m.

The Warriors’ top-ranked scoring offense in the PSAC (52 goals, 2.7 per game) will face a Kutztown defense that has allowed just 11 goals in 19 games. The Golden Bears won 1-0 in both regular season meetings this year, on Sept. 12 at ESU and Oct. 24 at Kutztown.

ESU, led by third-year head coach Rob Berkowitz, defeated Bloomsburg in the PSAC quarterfinals in each of the last two years, 2-1 last season and 1-0 in 2007. The Warriors bowed out to IUP on penalty kicks in the semifinals last season, losing 9-8 after playing to a 1-1 tie after overtime.

Sophomore midfielder Devon Miniscalco (11 goals, 3 assists) and junior forwards Kailyn Buckley (8 goals, 6 assists) and Lindsay Foder (7 goals, 6 assists) were all starters on last year’s semifinal team, with Foder scoring ESU’s goal against IUP. Buckley and Foder were both named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II team last week.

Freshmen Marissa Spitler and Crystal Zerbe have started all 19 games in the midfield alongside Miniscalco this season. Spitler has seven goals and three assists and Zerbe has added four goals and four assists, including goals in the final five minutes in two of the Warriors’ last four games.

Senior goalkeeper Michelle Ginn has started seven games, including the last four in PSAC East play, and has a 0.93 goals against average. Senior Jessica Oliva, sophomore Linda Martine and freshmen Carly Collins and Breanne Ingargiola have been the starting backs all season.

The Warriors (11-6-2, 5-5-2) enter the playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the PSAC East. Kutztown (13-4-2, 8-3-1) is No. 2, while No. 1 West Chester (16-1-1, 11-1) hosts No. 4 Bloomsburg (6-9-3, 4-6-2) in the other PSAC East quarterfinal.

In the West, No. 1 California (15-4-1) hosts No. 4 Gannon (10-6-1) and No. 2 IUP (12-5-1) plays No. 3 Mercyhurst (12-6-1).

The semifinals and finals will be played on Friday and Saturday at the highest remaining seed in the PSAC East after Tuesday’s first round matches. ESU and West Chester have both represented the Eastern Division in the semifinals the last two seasons, while the West has produced four semifinalists – Mercyhurst, IUP, Slippery Rock and Edinboro.