The Shippensburg University women’s soccer team lost both of its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) matchups this week against Bloomsburg University and Millersville University.
The game against the reigning PSAC champion Bloomsburg (5-1-0, 4-1-0 PSAC) on Wednesday evening under the lights was a tight matchup all the way down to the wire.
SU (3-3-0, 1-3-0 PSAC) held tough against Bloomsburg’s constant attack as BU was able to get off a total of 35 shots in the game compared to Shippensburg’s five.
Junior Taylor Moore was able to get the scoring started for SU with a strike into the lower left of the goal in the 40th minute.
The Huskies responded quick in the second half with Lauren Hoelke putting a ball in the net on a free kick that just glanced off the fingertips of SU goalkeeper Delaney Shifflett.
The rest of the match turned into a defensive battle — both teams were not able to find the net, and overtime looked like it would be needed.
Midfielder Laura Fazzini boots a ball downfield against Bloomsburg.
However, BU striker Megan Callan knifed through Red Raider defenders with time winding down, and with 4.9 seconds on the clock, rocketed a ball into the top left corner of the net, ending the game 2-1.
Even in the loss, SU Coach Rob Fulton was proud of how his team battled.
“We played with heart and grit and determination and energy and we just fought out there,” Fulton said. “They [Bloomsburg] are a very good team and I’m just proud of the way we fought but it’s just hard when you play like that and you don’t get the results that you want.”
The Red Raiders were back in action on a hot and sunny Saturday afternoon against No. 23 Millersville (5-0-0, 3-0-0).
SU was again dominated in the shots category as Millersville got off 24 shots with the Raiders only shooting eight.
Millersville has not given up a goal yet in its five games this season, a claim that no other PSAC team can make.
Morgan Winchock, Paige Mancini, and Kay Liebl each scored a goal on the way to MU winning 3-0 and remaining undefeated on the year.
A bright spot on the Shippensburg team, even in losses, has been junior goalkeeper Delaney Shifflett. Shifflett had double digit saves in both games with a season high 12 against Bloomsburg and 11 versus Millersville. Many of her saves came at point-blank range and she had a couple standout diving efforts to keep the ball out of the net.
“She was fantastic. You can’t really ask for too much more,” Fulton said. “She kept us level and kept us in the game, so hopefully as we keep going forward that’s the kind of performance that she gives for us.”
The Red Raiders will hit the road this week and face the winless Shepherd University in PSAC East play on Wednesday afternoon at 1 p.m.
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