Box ScorePhoto Galleries:Atlantic Region final vs. EdinboroNCAA quarterfinal at BridgeportRelated: Warriors win 1st-ever Atlantic Region title (Friday, W 2-0 vs. Edinboro)BRIDGEPORT, Conn. - East Stroudsburg University's record-setting 2015 women's soccer season ended Sunday afternoon, as the Warriors fell 2-0 at Bridgeport in the NCAA Division II Elite 8.
ESU (14-7-2) won its first-ever NCAA DII Atlantic Region championship on Friday with a 2-0 victory vs. Edinboro, and also captured its second straight PSAC championship and fourth in school history this fall.
Jess Laszlo, the East Coast Conference Freshman of the Year, scored her 21st and 22nd goals of the season for Bridgeport in the second half, scoring in the 56th minute on an assist from Flo Gemby and the 80th on an assist from Carolina Rico.
Bridgeport (21-1-1), which advances to the NCAA DII Final Four, won its first-ever East Region title on Friday with a 2-1 win vs. Adelphi. The Purple Knights are in the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in nine years.
Bridgeport held a 14-2 advantage in shots and sophomore goalkeeper
Jules Harris had eight saves for the Warriors.
The Warriors suffered their first postseason loss in the last two years, going 8-1-2 in winning consecutive PSAC tournament championships, reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2014 and the fourth round (national quarterfinals) in 2015.
ESU was attempting to become the first Atlantic Region team to reach the national semifinals since West Chester in 2006. The Warriors were the No. 6 in the Atlantic Region and the first No. 6 seed (lowest possible) to reach the Elite 8 in at least five years.
ESU, which need a win vs. unbeaten Gannon on October 30 to reach the PSAC Tournament, were 5-0-1 in their first six postseason games. They advanced on penalty kicks (4-3) after a 0-0 tie at West Chester in the PSAC quarterfinals, beat Slippery Rock 2-0 on two goals by senior forward
Sammi Jo Hughes and edged Edinboro, 2-1 (OT), on a goal by junior midfielder
Shea Neal, the PSAC Tournament MVP, in the championship game.
In the NCAA Tournament, freshman forward
Alex Pickett scored both goals, including the game-winner with 10 seconds left in the first overtime, in a 2-1 (OT) win vs. West Chester in the first round. The Warriors blanked previously unbeaten WV Wesleyan, 3-0, in the second round after the Bobcats had allowed two goals all season.
In the regional final on Friday vs. Edinboro, junior forward
Brielyn Hackett scored in the 16th minute and sophomore midfielder
Sammi Ortiz in the 77th minute in the Warriors' 2-0 victory.
ESU finishes this postseason with a 11-4 goal differential.
The Warriors won the 28-team Atlantic Regional, and were attempting to represent the 66 combined teams from the Atlantic and East Regions in the Final 4. They were one of the final eight teams, of 249 schools in DII, competing for a national championship this fall.
ESU is 34-8-3 in the last two seasons, winning both PSAC championships, and is the only Atlantic Region team to reach the second round of the regional both seasons. The Warriors were 20-1-1 in 2014, earning the region's No. 1 seed and a first-round bye, before being eliminated on penalty kicks by WV Wesleyan (4-2) after a 0-0 tie.
Hughes finishes her career (79 starts) with 23 career goals and 59 points, both sixth in school history. Senior midfielder
Syrandin Deere Vester was a three-year starter, appearing in the starting lineup 56 times as a defensive midfielder.
Seven Warriors were returning starters off the 2014 PSAC championship team in Hughes, Deere Vester, Neal, Ortiz, junior back
Laurel Neira, junior back
Hannah Gombos and Harris in goal.
First-year starters were Hackett and freshman
Alex Pickett at forward, junior
Andrea Polanco at center back and freshman
Kyra Dubost at left back.
ESU has made three NCAA Tournament appearances in nine seasons under head coach
Rob Berkowitz (103-58-19).