The Shippensburg University women’s lacrosse team found themselves in a five-game skid to start their season. 

However, their fortune changed Saturday thanks to an electric performance on the road against Kutztown University, resulting in a 12-5 victory. 

Prior to Saturday’s win, the Raiders (1-5, 1-4 PSAC East) struggled to piece together a full 60 minutes in their previous five contests, typically losing the upper hand in the second half and being outscored by a 37-22 second frame margin. SU re-wrote that script Saturday, garnering control from beginning to end. 

After a Golden Bears’ (1-4, 1-3 PSAC East) opening score, the Raiders swung the pendulum in their favor. Junior Alana Cardici netted the first SU goal at the 25:55 mark, fueling a quick 5-0 run. Sophomores Hannah Seifried and Gabby Savarino added to the cause, before Cardaci spurted off two more of her own, completing the opening frame hat trick. 

Later, freshman Bailey Krahl found the net for her fourth goal of the year, building the Raider lead to 6-2. Freshman Abby Seasock, Seifried, and Cardaci went on a 3-0 run in the remaining five minutes, bolstering the SU lead to 9-3 going into the break, Cardaci ending the day with four goals. 

The second half was less eventful as the Raiders took the slim 3-2 advantage in the scoring category. 

Junior Maddy Siejk fired a shot into the twine at 19:05, notching her first goal of the season. Savarino returned the favor eight minutes later with her second goal, followed by Seifried’s score, under one minute remaining. The score was Seifried’s third hat trick of the 2021 campaign. 

The Raider defense held up its end of the bargain, allowing a mere 11 shots on goal. Redshirt-sophomore goalkeeper KiKi Brasher completed her afternoon with five goals allowed and six saves. 

Krahl had a whopping six assists in the win, an easy career-high for her. Siejk paced the Raiders with four ground balls, with junior defender Madi Jones totaling three. Seifried once again led in draw controls, bringing in six. 

Despite its victory Saturday, SU did not see the same success earlier in the week when the Raiders squared off against the Bloomsburg University Huskies Tuesday. 

Following the same uniform pattern as their first four contests, the Raiders found themselves at the back end of a lopsided contest, with the Huskies coming out on top 17-7. 

Bloomsburg (3-2, 3-2 PSAC East) raced out to a 4-0 run before junior Jessica DeMarte snuck one past the goalkeeper, her first of the year. The Huskies countered in fashion, puzzling together another run (5-0). 

Seifried and Cardaci stopped the Huskies’ momentum, contributing a goal apiece, chipping away at the deficit and making it 9-3. Bloomsburg rallied for two more goals to close the first frame at 11-3. 

The second stanza presented a similar outcome, with Bloomsburg tickling the twine to the tune of a 6-4 advantage.

The Huskies opened the frame with an additional two goals. Sophomore Kasey Schuchardt interrupted the Huskies’ bevy of scoring at 24:52, the first goal of her collegiate career. Savarino, Krahl and Seifried rounded out the Raiders’ scoring, ending the contest at 17-7. 

In the net, freshman Ally Weneta earned the start in 43 minutes of action, allowing 14 goals, notching seven saves and was tagged for the loss. Brasher toughed it out for the remaining 17, conceding three goals to go along with four saves. 

Sophomore defender McKenna Keller led SU in ground balls and caused turnovers, totaling three in each category. Sophomore Sydney Costanza tallied the lone assist, and Seifried dominated the center circle, earning four draw controls. 

The Raiders return to Robb Sports Complex Saturday to face the Warriors of East Stroudsburg. The game is set to begin at 1 p.m. 

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