Slippery Rock field hockey blanked No. 10 Mansfield University over the final three periods but a first-period score spelled defeat for the White and Green yesterday at Karl Van Norman Field.
The win elevated Mansfield, the current five-seed, to an 8-5 overall record while SRU dropped to 2-9.
SRU has now lost four of their last five conference games by just one goal, including an overtime loss to Frostburg State University on Oct. 8.
The Rock tallied more shots on goal than the Mounties but Sophia Vadnais scoring once would be all they needed to go up a number in the win column.
Vadnais scored just eight seconds after her own penalty corner at the outset of the 14th minute in the first period. The goal came roughly three minutes after Mansfield had a big scoring opportunity, logging three shots in 30 seconds. Although, none got past SRU goalie Grace Burker.
The Mounties had five penalty corners in the first period alone. The opportunities added up, it was the fourth penalty corner that produced the game’s lone goal.
The Rock had a scoring opportunity early in the third period when two penalty corners within 10 seconds by Sammy Grace led to two shots, one by Bailee Christman and one by Hilary Hoffman, but neither was the equalizer.
The third period was somewhat of an offensive onslaught by SRU as they racked up seven shots to Mansfield’s none during the span, but it was all for naught as none of the shots found the back of the net.
Reciprocally, Mounties goalie August Lewis tallied five saves in the third period alone.
SRU’s advantage in the shot category was the result of three-shot performances by Christman and Hoffman. Gianna Conti added two and Leslie Colliver had one.
All three of Hoffman’s shots were on goal.
The Rock draws a tough matchup for their Senior Day game as they have to line up across No. 1 Shippensburg University. That game will serve as the first of three home games representing SRU’s final homestand of the season before hitting the road for their final two games.
