Shippensburg University’s field hockey team defeated all three of its opponents during the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) tournament, bringing home the title for the second year in a row. 

Heading into the quarterfinals, the Raiders were 14-3 overall and 6-3 within the conference. The record placed them as the No. 3 seed at the start of postseason play. 

All three of SU’s regular-season losses came from the teams they faced during the tournament. Shippensburg redeemed itself in winning all three rematches.

On Tuesday, SU shut out Bloomsburg 2-0, then moved on to defeat ESU Friday by a score of 4-3. To claim the PSAC title, the Raiders handed Kutztown its first loss of the season on Sunday, winning 2-1. 

The Raiders dominated against the Huskies on Tuesday. SU had 17 total shots and 11 on goal, while BU had eight shots with seven on goal. 

The Raiders also secured four more penalty corners than the Huskies’ five. One of Shippensburg’s penalty corners led to their first goal of the game. 

With the game scoreless in the third quarter, junior McKenna Boyle earned her fifth goal of the season. She saved a penalty corner opportunity when she recollected the ball after it bounced off a defender’s stick. Once back in her possession, she shot the ball directly into the bottom right corner of the cage. 

Only up by one in the remaining minutes of the game, Boyle scored the Raiders’ second goal with only 20 seconds left on the clock. 

The 2-0 shutout marked the 25th of graduate goalkeeper Emma Albee’s career, setting a school record. During the match, Albee recorded seven saves. 

On Friday, the Raiders traveled to Kutztown for the remainder of the tournament. SU faced the No. 2 seed, ESU, that evening. 

Against ESU, the Raiders put up a 2-0 lead within the first half of the game and scored another two in the third quarter to put them ahead 4-0. 

Continuing her urge to score from Tuesday, Boyle scored the team’s first goal seven minutes into the game with an assist from sophomore Anne Gardner. The shot came when Gardner dribbled the ball to the top right side of the circle, passing it into the center for Boyle to score. 

The Raiders’ second point came during one of the team’s five penalty corners. Toward the end of the second quarter, the insert made its way to senior Lilly Cantabene at the top of the circle, who then proceeded to make her shot. Cantabene’s shot was deflected, and Gardner smacked the ball into the cage. 

During the first half of the game, SU held a strong defense to keep ESU from scoring and was pressuring the Warrior defense hard. 

In the third quarter, the Raiders added two more goals to their lead. The first came from senior Agus Garibaldi after deflecting another Cantabene shot. 

The other came with the solid teamwork of Boyle and senior Kelly Naudé. Naudé ran onto Boyle’s pass into the circle and lifted the ball into the cage for the 4-0 lead. 

However, the Warriors started to make a comeback in the final minutes of the third quarter with their first goal with only six seconds remaining. 

After returning from the break, ESU kept their attack moving down the field to score just under a minute into the final quarter. 

Facing the pressure of the clock, the Warriors played out their last penalty corner with seven seconds left in the match. Although the insert was weak since it did not make its way to the top of the circle, ESU did not give up its fight and added one more point to the board. 

Although leading by four goals at one point, the Raiders only won by one with a final score of 4-3. Overall, the Raiders had three less penalty corners than the Warriors, but they had two more shots on goal than ESU. 

Sunday, Shippensburg faced Kutztown for the second time this season. The Golden Bears were undefeated going into the match and were looking for their first PSAC Championship. 

The Raiders struck early with a goal in the first quarter on a penalty stroke from junior Kayla Snyder. Snyder flicked the ball to the left of KU’s freshman goalie, Tess Adolf. The stroke was called after a KU defender stood behind Adolf, blocking the shot with her leg. 

In the second quarter, junior Carme Caracotche Picone received a pass from Cantabene in the circle to score an insurance goal for the Raiders. 

Shippensburg led 2-0 up until the final three minutes of the match, when KU attempted a comeback. The Golden Bears scored one goal, and they produced nine shots with four on goal for the day. The Raiders totaled 10 shots, with seven of them on goal, to secure their win. 

After winning this year’s tournament, the Raiders have won four PSAC Championships. This year’s win also marks the first for head coach Rayell Wallace. 

During the ceremony on the field, junior Hannah White was recognized as the tournament’s most valuable player for her work on the team’s defense. 

On Saturday, Nov. 15, Shippensburg will compete in a quarterfinal match for the NCAA tournament against Saint Anselm at Robb Sports Complex at noon.

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