West Chester Readies To Defend Conference Crown

WEST CHESTER, Pa. – No. 5 West Chester hosts No. 8 East Stroudsburg Tuesday at Vonnie Gros Field at 4 p.m. in a PSAC Field Hockey Tournament quarterfinal matchup.
 
Tuesday's winner travels to Shippensburg at Robb Sports Complex on Friday to take on second seeded No. 2 Millersville.
 
The Golden Rams (12-4, 8-2 PSAC) the third seed in the tournament, was victorious in the two earlier meetings with the Warriors in 2013 taking an 8-1 decision at home, before escaping with a 4-2 victory at East Stroudsburg.
 
East Stroudsburg ((8-10, 5-5 PSAC) needed a goal with 54 seconds left at Kutztown on Saturday afternoon, and a Mercyhurst loss to Bloomsburg, to earn the sixth seed in the tournament on the final day of the regular season.
 
West Chester hoisted the PSAC Championship trophy for the first time in 2012. The Rams are 3-2 all-time in PSAC Tournament action. The Golden Rams have not lost to the Warriors since 1960 and hold a 31-4-6 advantage all-time against in the series between the two schools. West Chester brings a 31-game unbeaten streak against ESU into today's quarterfinal.
 
The Warriors will make their 11th PSAC Tournament appearance overall under head coach Sandy Miller in her 30th season. ESU is 5-13 in its previous 10 appearances and 2-8 in first round games, advancing to the PSAC Championship Game in 2001 and 2010. 
 
Lykens led the Rams in scoring with 13 goals and 12 assists for 38 points, and Callanan was West Chester's leading goal scorer with 14. Stef Pirri scored six time and Stehman had five goals each had 10 assists.
 
The Warriors were led by Allie Roth with 20 goals and five assists for 45 points. Gabrielle Siebert had nine goals and was the team leader with seven assists for 25 points and Jessica Lawville was third on the team in scoring with eight goals and six helpers for 22 points.
 
The Golden Rams took the first contest with ESU, 8-1 at Vonnie Gros Field. Kelsi Lykens had a goal and four assists and Alayna Brown added two goals and an assist.
 
In the rematch in East Stroudsburg, the Warriors jumped to the lead, scoring midway through the first half, and held the advantage until Nancy Stehman tied it with five minutes left in the half.
 
The Golden Rams went ahead just 40 seconds into the second half when Megan Callanan scored from Kelsey Cheek. Lykens made it 3-1 in the 40th minute, and Marnie Kusakavitch scored from Lykens for the final West Chester goal to make it 4-1.
 
Indiana, Pa. (5-5, 8-10 PSAC), travels to Bloomsburg (7-3, 12-6 PSAC) at 1 p.m., in the other PSAC Tournament quarterfinal Tuesday. That quarterfinal round winner will advance to face top-ranked Shippensburg on Friday.