SALEM, Va. – Graduate student Hana Cicerelle and freshman Emily Mitarotonda combined for 11 goals, but the East Stroudsburg University lacrosse team could not comeback from a mid-game Royals run, falling to No. 5 Queens, 17-14, in the NCAA Semifinal round on Friday night at Donald J. Kerr Stadium.
One of the most impressive seasons in program history comes to a close for the Warriors (12-4), while first-seed Queens (14-1) advances to the NCAA Championship game. The Royals will play the winner of two-seed Lindenwood and three-seed Roberts Wesleyan on Sunday.
Mitarotonda led the offense seven points with six goals and an assist to cap an impressive freshman campaign. In just 16 games this season, Mitarotonda tied for the team-lead in goals (48) scored and ranked second the squad with 60 points. Her 48 goals and 60 points rank second all-time among first-year players in program history.
Playing in her final game as a Warrior, Cicerelle, ESU's all-time leading points scorer, recorded five goals. She finishes her career in the Poconos with 180 goals (2nd in program history), 90 assists (2nd all-time in program history) for 270 career points (ESU all-time leader), ranking as one of the most dynamic offensive threats to ever play for ESU.
In the cage, Tatyana Petteway also played her final game in the Red and Black, finishing her career as Division II's all-time goalkeeper minutes played leader and sixth-all time in DII in career saves with 764 saves. She posted a 58-16 record over five seasons, going down as one of the best goalkeepers in ESU and Division II history. She made nine saves against the Royals.'
Gallery: (5-21-2021) NCAA Semifinals: Queens 17, ESU 14
The back-and-forth affair began with two Queens goals. The Cicerelle-Mitarotonda duo struck with back-to-back goals to quickly tie the contest up just four minutes into the contest.
After the Royals grabbed a 3-2, lead the Warriors would score three of the next four. Mitarotonda registered two of those goals, earning a hat-trick performance less than eight minutes into the contest.
Both teams traded goals the rest of the first half, with Queens scoring three of the final four goals to take its first lead since 3-2 at 9-8. The final two goals in the first half for the Royals would turn into a 5-0 run, as Queens led 12-8 with 23:38 left on the clock.
ESU never quit, cutting the deficit to two goals at 14-12 and 16-14, but that is as close as the Warriors could get, falling to Queens in its second-ever NCAA semifinal matchup.
2021 goes down as one of the most successful in program history for the Warriors. ESU earned its second-ever Atlantic Region title (2018), advancing to the NCAA Semifinals twice in head coach Xeni Barakos-Yoder's six seasons at the helm of the team. ESU had never earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament prior to Barakos-Yoder taking over the head coaching duties. She has now led the Warriors to four consecutive NCAA Tournament berths.
