Shippensburg University’s No. 1 nationally ranked field hockey team earned a pair of key road victories this week, defeating No. 5 West Chester 3-1 on Wednesday before beating No. 9 Mansfield, 6-1, on Saturday. The results moved the Raiders to 11-0 for the season, including 4-0 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play.
The week’s first contest saw West Chester strike first to take a 1-0 lead early in the second quarter, but senior Yasmin De Meyer scored later in the period off an assist from senior Valu Paul to tie the game at the half.
The game remained tied entering the fourth quarter until De Meyer scored her second goal of the game, via an Agus Garibaldi assist, to put SU ahead 2-1. Garibaldi added an insurance goal later in the quarter off an assist from senior Nya Gilchrist to make it 3-1 Raiders, which would be the final score.
It was a very even match statistically, with the Raiders outshooting West Chester 12-10 and each team earning five penalty corners. Redshirt junior Emma Albee made seven saves for Shippensburg in the victory.
Saturday’s match at Mansfield saw Shippensburg get off to a hot start, with Gilchrist scoring the first goal just 3:30 into the match off an assist from De Meyer. Sophomore McKenna Boyle scored an unassisted goal later in the frame to put SU ahead 2-0.
Garibaldi was the star of the second quarter, earning a pair of goals to put the Raiders comfortably ahead. Senior Alexa Michielsen assisted the first goal, while the second came from a penalty corner assist from junior Savannah Silvestre.
The Raiders were unable to score in the third quarter but added to their lead in the fourth quarter when Boyle scored her second of the game via an assist from junior Lilly Cantabene. Cantabene then scored the match’s final goal with the help of an assist from senior Ashley Button to make it 6-1.
Shippensburg’s defense held Mansfield to just six shots on goal, five of which were saved by Albee. The Raiders mustered up 15 shots on goal and totaled eight penalty corners while allowing only six.
Shippensburg field hockey returns home on for a crucial matchup against 10-1 Kutztown, whose lone loss is to the Raiders back on Sept. 18. That matchup is at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Robb Sports Complex, before the Raiders travel to Slippery Rock on Saturday.
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