Slippery Rock University’s women’s field hockey team lost its final game of the season last Friday against the nationally ranked Millersville Marauders at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium by the score of 3-0.
Although not coming out victorious, The Rock kept the game tied throughout the first half with the game staying knotted up at zero going into the half. Both teams finished the first half with five shots recorded.
“Our team just wanted to go out really strong because we know this was our last game playing with our seniors. So we just practiced and watched the film and did the best that we could,” senior defender Liz Wolfe said.
The game continued to remain scoreless in the second half for over eight minutes until Millersville’s redshirt sophomore midfielder Sol Ortiz-Kreiner scored her seventh goal of the season. That goal made the score 1-0. Junior defender Lexi Robinson assisted on the Ortiz-Kreiner’s goal.
Less than two minutes after Ortiz-Kreiner’s goal, the Marauders scored once again when freshman forward Asia Weaver scored making the score 2-0. The goal was Weaver’s third of the year.
Almost four minutes later, Millersville scored again when senior forward Aliza Mizak scored a goal. The goal was Mizak’s sixth of the season. Lexi Robinson assisted on Mizak’s goal. Robinson finished the game with two assists. Two assists is a career high for Robinson.
Millersville scored their three goals in less than a six-minute span.
“[Millersville] just really played at speed and continued to go into open space and they executed when they needed to,” Wolfe said.
Despite having more than 20 minutes to get back in the game, The Green and White failed to score any goals leading to them being shutout for the eighth time this season. The shutout was the ninth recorded of an opponent this season by the Marauders. It was also the fifth straight shutout for Millersville.
Even though the shots recorded remained close during the first half, the second half was an entirely different story. Millersville registered 14 shots while SRU registered just one shot. Millersville finished the game with 19 total shots registered whereas SRU finished it with just six. Leading the way for the Marauders were sophomore forward Georgina Wall, originally from Tasmania, and junior forward Erica Tarsi who recorded four shots apiece. Aliza Mizak and Sol Ortiz-Kreiner both recorded three shots. Eight different players recorded a shot for Millersville.
Sophomore forward Kayla Ulrich and sophomore forward Courtney Page led the way for SRU with two shots apiece. Ulrich finishes the season with 39 shots recorded and has 101 shots recorded in her career.
Sophomore goalkeeper Maddie Murphy recorded eight saves while allowing three goals. Murphy finishes the year with 97 saves and now has 154 saves in her career. She is ranked sixth all-time in program history in career saves made.
Liz Wolfe made a defensive save in the contest. Wolfe finishes her career with 18 defensive saves and leaves the program tied for third with Erin Moran, who was with the program from 2008 to 2011, in career defensive saves. Only Kayla Mack, who played from 2014 to 2017, and Baylee Childress, who played from 2011 to 2014, recorded more defensive saves in their time with The Rock. Wolfe’s fifth defensive save led the PSAC.
“I’ve always been a defender throughout my whole entire life and I’ve had great coaches and great teammates just cheering me on. That’s kind of what’s help me succeed,” Wolfe said.
The win is Millersville’s twelveth straight against Slippery Rock. The Marauders remain undefeated against The Rock since Shelly Behren took over as head coach.
Friday’s loss drops Slippery Rock’s overall record to six wins and 12 losses. They managed to win just one game in conference play this season as their conference record falls to one win and nine losses.
The game was the final game of the careers of Liz Wolfe, senior midfielder Hannah Downing, senior midfielder Sam Geroski, senior forward Rachel Ivins, senior midfielder Hannah Simone and senior defender Tara Maloney.
“I would not trade it for the world. I love my teammates and I loved every minute of it. The coaches are great and they’ve supported us in every way. I would never look back and think I did not enjoy my time here,” Wolfe said of her career with Slippery Rock University’s field hockey team.
The game, which was deemed their Make-A-Wish Game, was the final day Slippery Rock was collecting donations for the Make-A-Wish Foundation with the goal set at $500. This goal was exceeded as $1,075 was raised in total.
