The win streak continues.

After a combative first half, the Shippensburg University field hockey team held on tight on Saturday to defeat No. 5 Slippery Rock University, 3-1. The Raiders (10-1, 5-0 PSAC) now extend their win streak to eight games, good for the top mark in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).

Shippensburg took the No. 1-ranked spot in Division II earlier this week after wins over the previous No. 1 East Stroudsburg University and previous No. 2 Millersville University. 

SU relied heavily on its veterans to win its second matchup of the season against The Rock, with senior Mary Spisak tallying the first for the Raiders off a reverse shot to beat the keeper. The Raiders defeated Slippery Rock 5-2 on Sept. 16. 

Capitalizing off penalty corners has been Shippensburg’s bread and butter this season. Kylie Huffman’s shot sailed through the Slippery Rock defense to give SU a comfortable two-goal lead. The Rock stormed back though, cashing in just a minute later to cut SU’s lead to one just before halftime. 

The Raiders are 7-0 this season when taking a lead into the second half, and Saturday’s match was no different. SU spent a considerable amount of time in the offensive zone in the first half, garnering eight penalty corners and conceding just one, but The Rock pushed back in the second frame, looking to fire shots past SU goalie Ally Mooney. 

Slippery Rock’s six second-half penalty corners did not amount to much though, only squeaking two shots through the tight Shippensburg defense. Mooney was up to the task, turning away all chances on net to shut down The Rock’s hopes for a comeback. 

With Slippery Rock focusing on trying to solve the Raider defense, SU’s top scorer, Emily Barnard, slipped through the cracks to bang home her 13th goal of the season. The goal gave Shippensburg a lead it was prepared to protect for the rest of the game. Barnard’s 13 goals lead all PSAC players in goal scoring.

The Raiders closed out the win to bolster the team’s strong in-conference play, leading the PSAC in winning percentage. Shippensburg finished the day with a 13-5 advantage in shots and an 8-7 advantage in penalty corners. SU has held its opponents to one goal or less in six out of 11 games this season.

The Raiders now head back to Shippensburg for a lengthy homestand, turning its sights toward an undefeated Messiah College squad in a non-conference match at Robb Sports Complex on Wednesday at 4 p.m.

Share