Shippensburg University’s No. 1 nationally ranked field hockey team moved to 13-0 on the season this past week, earning a thrilling comeback 3-2 win over No. 2  defending national champion Kutztown at home on Tuesday before taking down Slippery Rock 3-0 on Saturday.

SU got off to a fast start against the Golden Bears. The Raiders took a 1-0 lead over Kutztown just 56 seconds into the match when senior Alexa Michielsen scored her sixth goal of the season with an assist from junior Agus Garibaldi.

The teams then settled into a rhythm defensively for most of the first half until Kutztown earned a penalty corner with six seconds remaining in the second quarter. They were able to convert, making it 1-1 at halftime. They scored again off a penalty corner late in the third quarter to make it 2-1 entering the fourth.

The Raiders persevered from there. Junior Ashley Button scored her second goal of the season with 9:56 remaining to even the score, with Garibaldi earning the assist. 

Speaking postgame on the goal, Button said, “It was just a mindset going in, going back to our gameplan as a team playing together.”

The match remained tied entering the final stretch when junior Savannah Silvestre earned Shippensburg’s lone penalty corner of the game. 

Garibaldi was able to convert on the ensuing possession, earning the go-ahead goal via an assist from Button with just 39 seconds remaining to put the Raiders ahead 3-2, which would be the final score.

Speaking on the fourth quarter, head coach Tara Zollinger said, “It was really about trying to maintain possession on the front one third. We still only had very limited opportunities in their attack circle, but we capitalized on those opportunities.”

It was an even-matched contest throughout, with each team only earning four shots on goal. It was also quite physical. Six penalties were handed out, four on SU.

Zollinger also commented on the team effort Tuesday, saying, “You can always tell there’s a pretty strong chemistry when you can come back from a 2-1 game against a rival … that just came from believing in each other, committing to the gameplan and working cohesively on the field.”

Saturday’s match saw SU muscle its way to a 3-0 road win over Slippery Rock. The scoring began in the second quarter when sophomore McKenna Boyle scored her seventh goal of the season off an assist from sophomore Carme Caracotche Picone, with the score remaining 1-0 at halftime.

Shippensburg added a pair of goals in the fourth quarter, beginning with Garibaldi contributing once again with her 14th of the season. Freshman Anne Gardner rounded out the day’s goals with her sixth to make it 3-0 SU.

The Raiders held Slippery Rock to just one shot on goal for the match, outshooting them 16-2 overall. They also earned 10 penalty corners without allowing one.

Shippensburg field hockey has a pair of home conference games this week, beginning with a matchup against East Stroudsburg on Wednesday at 4 p.m. The Raiders will then celebrate Senior Day on Saturday when they take on IUP at 1 p.m. Both matchups are at Robb Sports Complex.

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