This past week, the Shippensburg University lacrosse team split a set of games in which they lost at home to West Chester University but picked up a road win at Bloomsburg University. The team currently holds a 7-7 record and sits at 2-7 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference East. 

On Wednesday, the Raiders hosted their annual Autism Awareness Game against the undefeated Rams at Robb Sports Complex. Before the game started, an announcement was made regarding the importance of support and inclusivity for individuals with autism both on and off the field. 

At the start of the game, Shippensburg and West Chester engaged in mostly even play. Near the end of the first quarter, junior Alyssa Krueger scored a buzzer beater off an assist from Ali Pioli, which resulted in the Raiders only trailing by one goal going into the second.

However, the Rams began to pull ahead throughout the second and third quarters, scoring six goals in the second and five goals in the third. WCU held SU to one goal in the second and one goal in the third. 

During the fourth quarter, the Raiders held the Rams to just one goal and pushed their defense at the very end. Shippensburg scored two more goals with only three minutes left in the game. The first came from freshman Maddie Phommachanh for her third goal of the day. Phommachanh’s goal was followed with another from sophomore Brynn Hauck with an assist from Pioli. 

Although SU saw a little offensive spark, it was too late as they fell to WCU 16-7. 

After the game, head coach Brooke DellaValle reflected on Ship’s performance and their ability to never give up. 

DellaValle said, “Everyone played their best, they were able to play up to the pressure that West Chester is great about giving and we didn’t back down.”

Saturday, the Raiders travelled to Bloomsburg where the teams met for the second time this season. 

After facing a devasting one-goal loss during their first game against the Huskies, Shippensburg was looking forward to the rematch and hoped to improve.

Specifically, DellaValle said the team was hoping to limit the number of turnovers they had per game because in their first match against the Huskies, SU had 30 turnovers. 

Only committing 21 turnovers this time around, the team’s hard work paid off with a 12-10 win. 

Leading the Raiders to victory were senior Sara Vosburg and sophomore Olivia Glinski with four goals each. Vosburg also had two assists and three groundballs. 

SU earned the victory despite trailing in several key stats. They were outshot 39-30 and only caused eight turnovers, compared to 11 for Bloomsburg.

Another moment of celebration came for the team when senior goalkeeper. Kayla Vosburg racked up 600 career saves. She became one of only two players in Shippensburg history to reach that number. 

This week, the Raiders will host Kutztown on Saturday at 3 p.m. in Robb Sports Complex for their Julia Wise Appreciation Game. 

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