EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. (Nov. 7) – The Vulcans scored twice in the opening 10 minutes on Friday afternoon before allowing a pair of goals in the last 10 minutes to suffer a 3-2 loss at East Stroudsburg in the semifinals of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Tournament.
With the loss, the California University of Pennsylvania women's soccer team falls to 12-4-4 this season. The Vulcans, who were the fourth seed, have advanced to at least the semifinals in all six of their appearances in the PSAC Tournament. Meanwhile, the top-seeded Warriors, who are No. 3 in the country, improve to 19-1 overall and extend their winning streak to 19 games.
East Stroudsburg jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the fifth minute with a rebound goal by Sammi Jo Hughes. The Vulcans countered at the 6:23-mark when junior
Janelle McCann (Burlington, Vt./Tilton School) scored from 12 yards out after a run through the midfield. Just over three minutes later, McCann scored her second goal of the game and 13th of the season to give Cal U a 2-1 lead. McCann was issued a yellow card at the 20:11-mark before the Vulcans were unable to convert on a corner kick less than a minute later.
Playing with the wind in the second half, the Warriors attempted three shots in less than a five-minute span with a pair of attempts following corner kicks near the 75th minute. East Stroudsburg tied the score at 2-2 at the 80:13-mark with a header by Courtney Keller off a 40-yard cross. Less than a minute later, McCann was ejected from the game after receiving her second yellow card of the game, forcing the Vulcans to play the last eight-plus minutes down one player. Sophomore goalkeeper
Meghan Jayes (New Albany, Ohio/New Albany) kept the game tied at the 83:16-mark with a save before the game-winning goal occurred on a misplayed header by a Cal U defender that resulted in an 'own goal' in the 85th minute.
Jayes tied her career high with eight saves in the losing effort. East Stroudsburg freshman Jules Harris tallied five saves while playing all 90 minutes.
East Stroudsburg finished with an 18-8 shot advantage, including a 10-1 edge in the second half. The Warriors also posted a 5-3 margin in corner kicks with all five corners coming after halftime.
McCann is the first player since 2011 to record at least a dozen goals in a season. She tied with Kelli Rees (2002) for ninth place in single-season school history with 13 goals. McCann has recorded four multi-goal games this year, including two in the PSAC Tournament.
Cal U was ranked eighth in the latest NCAA regional rankings and must now wait to see if it receives an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament. The field for the NCAA Tournament will be announced via selection show on Monday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m.
