EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. — The Millersville field hockey team was on the wrong side of another tightly contested PSAC battle, falling 1–0 to No. 3 East Stroudsburg.

Similar to their game against Shippensburg one week ago, the Marauders hung around with the Warriors, but a fourth quarter goal against was the only tally on the scoreboard. On East Stroudsburg's eighth penalty corner of the game, Minke Klijn got the game-winning goal off a Jady van Gils assist as the Marauders were unable to even the score in the final 11 minutes.

The Warriors put the Marauders on their heels to start, spending most of the half in the attacking end and shutting down any counterattack opportunities. East Stroudsburg had the only two shots of the opening quarter courtesy of van Gils, but both were blocked as Millersville was able to defend. It was more of the same in the second quarter, as East Stroudsburg kept the pressure dialed up. However, despite five penalty corners and three shot attempts, the Marauders exited the first half without giving up a shot on goal.
In the opening moments of the second half, the Warriors finally got through the Marauders defense and tested goalkeeper Kerstin Koons, but the senior was sharp coming out of the break. Off a penalty corner in the first minute, Koons made a pair of tough saves on Allyson Forman and Bella Viruet off a penalty corner turned into a frenzy in front of the Millersville goal. The stops ended the chance for East Stroudsburg, and even gave Millersville a little bit of momentum going the other way. The Marauders had their first chance of the game shortly after, getting their first penalty corner and shot with 11 minutes remaining in the third. After Morgan Lennon received the penalty corner and crossed over the top of the arc, she passed left to Caitlin Wassermann, who nearly found Emma Ruley on the backdoor but was stopped by East Stroudsburg goalkeeper Jet Vermeulen.

Each team put one more shot on goal in the third quarter, with Roos Bijman being denied by Koons in front of the Marauders net, and Vermeulen kicking away a long shot from Ruley. With the Warriors getting on the board in the early fourth quarter, the Marauders turned up the pressure, with their best chance coming from Ruley with about eight minutes left. Her shot coming from the left side of the arc just missed the far post and went wide, as the Marauders would not be able to get another shot at a tying goal before the horn sounded.
Now 6–5 overall and 2–2 against PSAC opponents, the Marauders will look to bounce back next week against West Chester. With eight days between games, a well-rested Marauders team will host the No. 5 Golden Rams at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 17 at Biemesderfer Stadium.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

• The Marauders were outshot 11–3, registering all three shots in the second half and putting two on goal. The Warriors managed to put five on target.
• The Warriors had at least one penalty corner in each quarter, finishing with eight on the day. Millersville had one in each of the last two quarters.
• Ruley had all three shots for Millersville, but van Gils' four shots led all players.

POSTGAME REACTION FROM HEAD COACH SHELLY BEHRENS

• General thoughts on the game: "I love who we are right now, and I love how we're performing. We just have to finish in the attacking third and we'll get the results. That was the best team defense we've played this year. East Stroudsburg is a very good team, they have some key players, but I thought we played very well. We got some good performances off our bench, and we had some opportunities with a ball crossing an open net once or twice. For me, this isn't a loss, it's a learn."
• What the team needs to do to win close games against top teams: "That's what we're figuring out right now. We're doing so many good things, it's just that one last thing to finish it. I'll take that going into the second half of October. I'll take that's where we are, we're playing well against good teams, and we just need to take that next step. What is that next thing? I think it's a little bit of intangible and a little bit of skill. But we're going to get right back to work tomorrow and get the next one.
• On the team's defensive performance: "It was a great team defensive game. Our forwards up front, that was the best defensive pressure up front. Our midfielders were great everywhere, and so was Myah Yesko for us too. I feel like there's a knob for our play, and from our play last week to today, we turned it a couple clicks. I think we're right where we're supposed to be, and I love that we're still getting better. We were a better team today than we were last week, and I will take that."
• On the eight days between the next game against West Chester: "Our plan in place is to rest some bodies and brains. The plan in place is getting back after it, revisiting some fundamentals, and coming out and playing another PSAC team next Thursday.