Slippery Rock University’s field hockey team fell in a PSAC game that went into overtime by the score of 2-1 against the Mansfield University Mountaineers at Mihalik-Thompson Field on Tuesday.
The game remained scoreless for most of the first half but a few seconds after the 23rd minute of the game the Mansfield Mountaineers got on the board with a goal by freshman midfielder Olivia Bell. The goal was her first of the year. Senior midfielder Gabby Hieber assisted on the goal. The game remained one to zero going into the half.
The game’s next goal came much later in the first half. Sophomore forward Kayla Ulrich scored for Slippery Rock with less than 13 minutes remaining in the game tying the game at one apiece. That goal was her fifth of the year. Junior forward Madison Krajewski recorded the assist which was her first of the season. Ulrich led SRU with five shots taken.
“My teammates are the ones that give me 110% on and off the field. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to score the goals. They’re just a great group of girls,” Ulrich said.
The Green and White got off no more shots for the duration of the second half while Mansfield got off two shots. One of Mansfield’s final two shots came off of a penalty corner by junior forward Larissa Motts. Motts drew eight penalty corners in the game with seven happening in the second half. Motts came into the game with five goals but did not score a goal.
“We knew she was a good player. We just tried to make sure we would take away the middle and try not to let her get the middle,” Ulrich said of Motts.
The second half ended with the score knotted up at one apiece. The Rock did have one final chance to win it in regulation when junior midfielder Kalie Reed drew a penalty corner nearing the game’s final seconds but unfortunately for SRU a shot did not come off the penalty corner. The game then went into overtime.
Overtime lasted close to seven minutes with the game-winning goal coming off a penalty corner by sophomore midfielder/defender Mikaila Chakon who proceeded the get the ball to junior midfielder/defender Meghan Griffin who scored the game’s final tally. The goal was Griffin’s third of the year.
Of the 14 shots taken by The Green and White, five resulted in saves by junior goalkeeper Brittany Ryan. The Rock had six shots on goal. Ryan allowed only one goal which was scored by Ulrich. Being on the victorious team, Ryan’s record improves to six wins and five losses. Mansfield managed to get off ten shots with five of them being shots on goal. Sophomore goalkeeper Maddie Murphy had three saves in the game, but the game ended up in the loss column for her. Her record stands at five wins and six losses.
Slippery Rock University’s record falls to five wins and six losses. Their record in the PSAC becomes zero wins and three losses. Mansfield University’s overall record improves to six wins and five losses. Mansfield’s PSAC record improves to two wins and one loss.
SRU’s next game will be against the No. 2 East Stroudsburg University Warriors.
“They’re a tough team. The PSAC is unpredictable,” Kayla Ulrich said.
East Stroudsburg enters the game with an eight-win two loss record having recently shutout No. 7 Bloomsburg three to zero. East Stroudsburg has also defeated fifth-ranked Shippensburg twice this season by a combined score of seven to zero. The Warriors have also beaten two other teams who are in the top ten for Division II. One was the No. 3 Merrimack College Warriors and the other is the No. 10 Long Island University Post Pioneers. East Stroudsburg’s only losses came to No. 1 West Chester and the No. 3 Stonehill College Skyhawks.
One notable statistic for East Stroudsburg has been that they have scored 35 goals and surrendered only five goals. They have one player who has scored five goals and four others who have scored four goals this season. They have allowed a goal in only three games this year. So far seven of their opponents have been held scoreless.
The game will take place Saturday at Eiler-Martin Stadium at 1 p.m. The game for SRU will be their fourth conference game. Four out of the next five games for Slippery Rock University will be on the road.
