The Shippensburg University field hockey team clinched its first win of the season Saturday, toppling Saint Michael’s College in overtime, 2­-1. 

For the Raiders, finding some cohesion with the changes from the offseason figured to be a challenge, but right from the first faceoff, SU poured on the pressure against the Purple Knights. 

The Raiders could not break through Saint Michael’s defense in the first 35, but after a flurry of shots, two freshmen connected off a penalty corner to give SU its first goal of the season. 

Raider forward Jazmin Petrantonio kicked off the second half, sending a backhander soaring to the back post, where Aerin Kolfoort was waiting to redirect it into the net to give SU the first lead of the game. 

The Raiders continued to hound the Purple Knight defense, hemming them in for minutes at a time. Shots were piling up, but Saint Michael’s goaltender stood tall, registering 16 saves on the night. 

The Purple Knights did not go down without a fight, though, countering a Raider drive and converting on the man advantage after an SU penalty. Regulation finished knotted at 1-1, but with the way Shippensburg was advancing the ball, it felt like only a matter of time before SU broke through.

A fire was lit under the team just before overtime as SU was electric throughout the final minutes of the game. Shot after shot piled up, with Shippensburg shelling the Saint Michael’s goaltender. 

Multiple forwards including Emily Barnard peppered the opposing goal, forcing four saves and several goal-line stands in the opening minutes of overtime. Eventually, a shot from the top of the circle found its way to the stick of Barnard again, where she buried it to seal the victory. Barnard finished the game on her eighth shot and the team’s 34th. 

With the talent this team boasts, the skill and ability to possess the ball became more apparent as overtime came around, where both teams play seven versus seven. With that much more extra space, SU was able to ping the ball around and connect passes that would not normally be available. 

“We still had gas in overtime and that’s huge because we only have six field players,” head coach Tara Zollinger said. “We still had juice and we still had that explosive speed, so I think that really helped us.”

Shippensburg’s first win of the season gives Zollinger her first victory as a Raider and some momentum as the team begins to come together. 

“I’m really proud of how they stayed committed to what we’re doing and what our game plan was,” Zollinger said. 

The Raiders returned to action Sunday against Southern Connecticut State University, where SU knocked off the Owls, 8-0. Seniors Rebecca Bouyea and Barnard had hat tricks in the win, while Petrantonio and Megan Green each added a goal.

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