Box Score

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The first career goal for sophomore Caitlin Sheehan and a valiant effort in net from senior goalkeeper Shelbie Rackley propelled the No. 24 Shippensburg University women's soccer team to its most historic win in school history on Friday afternoon: a 1-0 defeat of PSAC foe Edinboro for the Raiders' first-ever NCAA Tournament victory from host Slippery Rock's Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.

Rackley made all seven of her saves in the first half as the Atlantic Region No. 3-seed Raiders (12-5-3) won in their NCAA postseason debut and moved past the No. 6-seed Fighting Scots (12-6-2) for the second time this postseason (a 4-3 penalty-kick shootout decision in the PSAC Semifinals).

Shippensburg advances to play No. 12-ranked and No. 2-seeded Rock (13-3-2) on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the NCAA Second Round/Atlantic Region Semifinals.

"It's gratifying, all the hard work, all the recruiting trips, all the work with the players in the offseason just to have it come today and get a first postseason win in the NCAA Tournament is big for the program and we're going in the right direction," eighth-year head coach Rob Fulton said. "It was a great game. They fought and it wasn't easy, it was a little bit ugly at times from us, but we're just really happy for the players."

In a back-and-forth battle with few scoring chances and solid goalkeeping play from Rackley and Edinboro's Meghan Kelly, the Raiders found the back of the net for the game-winner in the 71st minute when junior Kate Zech sent a cross from the right side to Sheehan, who slammed in the goal past a diving Kelly.

"[We] just got the ball wide with [Zech] and [Sheehan] made a nice little diagonal run and slipped in there," Fulton said. "Kate played her a nice ball and [Sheehan had] just a great finish low and across the face of the goal into the opposite corner like we've been working on since last spring with our finishing. It was just a textbook finish."

After a nine-shot first half for the Fighting Scots, the Shippensburg defense clamped down in the final 45 minutes and limited one of the top offensive attacks in the PSAC to just two shots after halftime.

Rackley and her backline held tight in particular during the final five minutes of the contest – a stretch that included two Edinboro corners and several more solid chances for EU to net an equalizer.

"She's just a clutch player, I believe she's the most accomplished goalkeeper in school history and we've had some good ones here," Fulton said of Rackley, who improved her single-season school record with her 11th shutout of 2013. "But again she came up big and kept us in the game when she needed to and allowed us to stay level until we could find that one moment and get that one goal."

The NCAA First Round/Atlantic Region Quarterfinals victory sets up a Sunday afternoon showdown with The Rock, who SU battled to a 1-1 tie in the regular-season finale from David See Field nearly two weeks ago.

"We'll enjoy this one a little bit tonight and not talk too much about Sunday and let the girls be happy and get a little bit of rest and some treatment," Fulton said.

"We'll train tomorrow and get after it again Sunday."