The Shippensburg University women’s soccer team traveled to Slippery Rock University on Friday afternoon to face Edinboro University in the opening round of the 2013 NCAA playoffs. A late game goal propelled the Raiders past the Fighting Scots 1–0.

The Raiders added another point to their history book when they defeated EU in the first round.

The 2013 season was the first time SU ever received a bid to the playoffs and did not disappoint.

The Fighting Scots outshot the Raiders in the first half by a margin of 9–3, but SU senior goalkeeper Shelbie Rackley kept EU off the board with seven saves.

“She is just a clutch player. She came up big and kept us in the game when she needed to make that big save,” head coach Rob Fulton said.

Rackley did indeed step up big in her first-ever NCAA playoff game, recording seven saves en route to her 11th shutout this year.

The Raiders notched their only goal of the game in the 71st minute when Kate Zech sent a ball in front of the net that was corralled by Caitlin Sheehan. Sheehan fired the ball into the lower left side of the net for her first-ever goal in a Raider uniform.

“We just got the ball wide with Kate Zech and Cait Sheehan made a nice run…she made a great finish like we have been working on,” Fulton said. “It was a textbook finish. We just had to find one moment and we did.”

Luckily Sheehan and the Raiders made the most of that moment because EU did not given many.
The Raiders were held to just eight shots compared to the Fighting Scots’ 11.

Rachel Hess and Carolyn Smith led the Raiders with two shots each while Casey Rightmyer, Ashley Weaver and Sheehan added one each.

The Raiders look to continue their historic run when they return to SRU on Sunday to take on The Rock in a 2 p.m. start from Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.

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