The No. 5-ranked Shippensburg University field hockey team continued its march to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) tournament this past week with wins over both Seton Hill University, 6–0, and Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), 4–1. 

The Raider offense dominated both games, combining to outshoot its opponents 55–7 and 37–6 in shots on goal. 

The team’s offense has fired on all cylinders many times this season, and that trend continued throughout the week. Heading into the PSAC tournament, the Raiders will be a tough out if their offense continues to play the way it has over the past few games. 

SU freshman forward Jenna Sluymer had a fantastic weekend, leading the Raider offense in both of their wins. She totaled four goals and three assists through the week. She currently has 10 goals and nine assists this season. 

Wednesday’s win over Seton Hill was headlined by good performances from Sluymer and sophomore Emily Stauffer. 

Stauffer kicked off the scoring in the fourth minute with a shot deflection that got past Seton Hill’s goalie. It did not take long for the Raiders to increase their lead, as Sluymer sniped a goal just two minutes later to increase the lead to 2-0. 

The Raiders were aggressive and dominated the game against the Griffins, holding them to only three shots — all of which were on goal. Sluymer and Stauffer accounted for all the team’s goals in the win, with both of them capturing hat tricks. 

The win over SHU officially clinched a spot in the PSAC tournament for the Raiders. They currently sit in third place in the conference. 

SU continued its good play from the win over the Griffins on Saturday, when the squad had another PSAC matchup against IUP. The Raiders’ offense once again took control of the game, outshooting IUP 23–4 overall and 14–3 in shots on goal. 

The scoring did not begin until the 20th minute, when the Raiders’ leading scorer, sophomore forward Jazmin Petrantonio, stuffed one into the net. Similarly to the win against Seton Hill, the Raiders struck again just two minutes after opening the scoring, as sophomore Kelly Shulenberger tallied her fifth goal of the season to widen the Raiders’ lead. 

IUP scored its only goal of the game in the 4–1 loss in the 32nd minute on a beautiful shot by Brianna Lubarsky, which narrowed the early deficit to 2–1. 

The Raiders were able to add some insurance late in the second half on goals from Sluymer and Petrantonio. Petrantonio currently leads the team in goals with 17 on the season. 

The team’s two wins this past week both resulted in the team’s near future – the PSAC tournament – becoming a little clearer. 

After securing a berth in the tournament in the win over Seton Hill, the Raiders clinched the third seed in the conference with their win over IUP. 

The team will host a quarterfinals game on Nov. 13, against a to-be-determined opponent. 

In the NCAA Division II picture, the Raiders are currently the No. 5-ranked team in the nation. 

SU (13-3, 7-2 PSAC) finishes its regular season at home on Saturday in a PSAC matchup against Mercyhurst University (5-12, 3-6 PSAC). The game kicks off at 1 p.m. from David See Field.

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