No. 9 Pace University prevented Slippery Rock field hockey from achieving a three-game winning streak to start the season by handing them a 4-1 loss on Monday.
The Rock built up momentum with back-to-back victories to open their 2024 schedule, but the Setters held them to a singular goal for the first time this season. The White and Green scored two goals in the season opener against Frostburg State University and five last Sunday at Adelphi University.
Consistent pressure was the winning formula for Pace during the game. The Setters scored once in each of the four periods.
Krista Dietz and Jenna McCrudden played a large role in keeping the offensive push on. The former recorded nine shots while the latter had seven. Both athletes landed seven shots on goal and were rewarded with one goal scored apiece for their efforts. Dietz also added two assists to her final stat line.
Anna Kopec and Patience Mares were the two other goal-scorers for Pace. Kopec did so on two shots while Mares ensured her opportunity counted as she scored on her lone shot of the contest.
Kopec opened the scoring just over 10 minutes in, seconds after a penalty corner by Dietz. Dietz would find her own goal in similar fashion, seconds after a penalty corner by Carlotta Oschmann just over seven minutes into the second period.
Gianna Conti got The Rock within a goal briefly after the outset of the third period following a penalty corner by Feli Stockler, but it was the closest SRU would get to victory the rest of the way.
Just five minutes later McCrudden cashed in on an opportunity following up on a Dietz shot that SRU goalkeeper Grace Burker saved. The graduate student forward provided the insurance goal in the 40th minute to extend the Setters’ lead to 3-1.
Mares provided the final dagger, also a follow-up on a Dietz shot, to solidify the final score of 4-1 with just over seven minutes remaining.
Conti, Bailee Christman, Hilary Hoffman and Leslie Colliver all carried their success from last season into this one. After finishing 2023 as The Rock’s leaders in points, the foursome remain at the top of the category through three games in 2024.
Conti logged her goal as one of five shots, all five of which were on goal.
Hoffman led her squad in shots with seven and tied with Conti for the most shots on goal with five. Colliver was close behind with four shots, three of which were shots on goal. Christman had three shots herself with two on goal but also earned a point on her assist of Conti’s goal.
Burker and Pace goalkeeper Celeste Pagliaroli both tallied 10 saves during their sixty minutes in the net.
Rock field hockey draws a tough matchup for their attempt at a bounce-back game as they are back at it this Saturday at No. 2 Shippensburg University. The field hockey squad is one of three teams headed to Shippensburg this weekend, joining the football team and men’s soccer there on Saturday.
