Shippensburg University lacrosse faced off against East Stroudsburg University (ESU) on Friday on a warm and windy day at Robb Sports Complex. Saturday’s contest was also the Alumni Appreciation Game, with current players forming a tunnel for the alumni to run through prior to team introductions.
Despite holding the ESU Warriors scoreless for the final 16 minutes, the Raiders came up short, ultimately losing 13-7. This result brings Shippensburg’s record to 5-5 overall and 0-5 in the PSAC East.
The Raiders started strong with freshman Maddie Phommachanh scoring a goal on the team’s first possession. Phommachanh finished the game with two goals, making her the second-highest scorer for the team, also contributing two ground balls.
Although Shippensburg had a promising first possession, the Warriors gained momentum as the game progressed. ESU scored the final three goals in the first quarter and added four more at the end of the second to take a commanding 10-3 lead at halftime.
Shippensburg head coach Brooke DellaValle acknowledged the team’s struggles in the first half but remained hopeful after their strong fourth-quarter performance.
“I think the biggest thing is, if we play the way we played in the fourth quarter, we are golden when it comes to the PSAC,” DellaValle said. “We were able to shut them out, and we were able to put points on the board when we were struggling a little bit with that in the first half. But we made some adjustments at halftime.”
The Raiders had some bright moments throughout the game, finishing with a 25-16 advantage in shots on goal and a 15-9 edge in draw controls. However, ESU goalkeeper Abby Simonetti had an outstanding performance, recording a season-high 18 saves.
Despite Simonetti’s efforts, senior Sara Vosburg delivered an exceptional performance, scoring four goals, her sixth hat trick of the season—along with three draw controls and two ground balls. Junior Ali Pioli also contributed with a goal, two assists, and four ground balls.
The Raiders’ next two games will be away at Shepherd and Millersville. They will return to Robb Sports Complex on April 9 to face the West Chester Rams.
The Slate welcomes thoughtful discussion on all of our stories, but please keep comments civil and on-topic. Read our full guidelines here.