Gannon Lady Knights

Women's Lacrosse Dan Teliski, Director of Athletics Media Relations

No. 10 Gannon Women's Lacrosse Team Set to Host East Stroudsburg Tuesday Afternoon in PSAC Quarterfinals

The Gannon women's lacrosse team tries to avenge one of its four losses Tuesday afternoon against East Stroudsburg.
ERIE, Pa. - The No. 10 Gannon women's lacrosse team will get a second shot at East Stroudsburg when the two teams clash Tuesday, April 26 in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) quarterfinal match-up at Gannon University Field. Game time is scheduled for 4 p.m.

Live gameday statistics will be available at http://www.gannon.edu/athletics/women/lacro/lstats/XLIVE.HTM.

Per PSAC post-season rules, admission will be charged for Tuesday's contest. Tickets costs $7 for adults and $2 for student and senior citizens. Gannon and East Stroudsburg students are admitted free of charge by showing their school ID at the gate. Ticket windows at Gannon University Field will open at 3 p.m.

The Gannon-East Stroudsburg match is one of two PSAC quarterfinal contests scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. The other match-up has fifth-seeded Mercyhurst traveling to fourth-seeded Bloomsburg. Top-seeded West Chester and second-seeded Lock Haven received byes into this weekend's PSAC Final Four.

West Chester will host the conference final four Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30. Friday's semifinals kick off with West Chester battling the Mercyhurst-Bloomsburg winner at 1 p.m. Lock Haven locks horns with the Gannon-East Stroudsburg winner at 4 p.m. The PSAC title match is slated for Saturday at 1 p.m.

Gannon will get a shot at redemption against East Stroudsburg after the Warriors escaped Gannon University Field on March 29 with a 15-14 overtime victory. The Lady Knights trailed 13-9, before scoring four goals in the final four minutes and 21 seconds. Jess Fugate's (Wooster, Ohio/Wooster) score with 13 seconds left in regulation forced overtime.

East Stroudsburg regained the lead with two goals in the first half of the overtime period. Sarah Grzybinski (New Market, Md./Linganore) cut the deficit in half, scoring with 44 seconds left in overtime. The Lady Knights won the ensuing draw control, but a turnover with seven seconds left sealed the verdict.

With the win, East Stroudsburg is one of only two PSAC teams to be victorious at Gannon University Field this season. Lock Haven was the other conference team to perform the feat, earning a 12-8 snow-shortened victory in Erie on April 6.

Gannon leads the all-time series against East Stroudsburg 2-1, posting a 14-13 road victory in 2002 and a 12-9 home win in 2000.

Head coach Steve Wagner's club brings a 12-4-1 overall record into Tuesday's quarterfinal match. Gannon finished third in the PSAC with an 8-3 conference record. The Lady Knights are ranked 10th in the latest Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) national rankings and fifth in the latest NCAA Division II South regional rankings. The squad rides a season-best five-match win streak into the post-season. It represents the program's longest streak since earning five straight victories at the end of last season, including a 15-9 verdict at Mercyhurst in the 2010 PSAC quarterfinals.

Gannon can tie a school record for most wins in a season with a victory against East Stroudsburg. Jim Nestor's 1998 squad is the only team in school history to win 13 matches, posting a 13-2 record en route to an Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) championship. The Lady Knights have reached double digits in victories seven consecutive seasons and have won at least 11 matches six straight years. Overall, Gannon has produced a winning record every season during the program's 16-year history.

Mary Eshenour (Waterloo, N.Y./Waterloo) headlines the Gannon offensive attack with 65 goals, 10 assists and 75 points. The senior midfielder ranks second nationally in goals and 11th in points. Fugate is second in scoring with 44 goals, 14 assists and 58 points.

Rachel DerCola (Rochester, N.Y./Brighton) and Caitlyn Fisher (Cypress, Texas/Cy-Fair) have split the feeder role. DerCola has 25 goals and 32 assists while Fisher has added 32 goals and 17 assists.

Margaret Maslyn (Penn Yan, N.Y./Penn Yan Academy) has played every minute in goal, producing a 9.96 goals against average and .442 save percentage.

East Stroudsburg owns a 9-8 overall record. The Warriors finished sixth in the PSAC despite dropping three of their last four matches, ending the regular season with a 6-5 conference mark. The squad captured the PSAC's final playoff spot when Mercyhurst defeated Indiana (Pa.) 12-11 during the final day of the regular season.

Seniors Michelle Mangiaruga and Molly O'Hara form one of the league's best scoring combinations. In addition to 41 goals, Mangiaruga leads the team in assists (26) and points (67). O'Hara ranks ninth among all NCAA Division II players in goals with 51. She also has 15 assists to account for 66 points.

Fellow senior Jamie Wesztergom completes the Warriors' group of 20-plus goal scorers with 24 goals. Junior Amanda Simms and sophomore Katie Zollo have split time between the pipes. Simms has started 10 matches, posting an 11.34 goals against average and .444 save percentage. Zollo has started seven contests, producing a 12.21 goals against average and .447 save percentage.
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