Box Score

CBS 21 Highlights

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. — With a steady rotation of 20 field players on a hot afternoon from Robb Sports Complex, the No. 2 Shippensburg University field hockey team managed two goals in each half and kept two-time defending NCAA champion and top-ranked West Chester off the scoreboard in the second half to cement a 4-2 defeat on Tuesday in a matchup of the two top-ranked teams in Division II.

While the game is considered a non-conference tilt and has no effect on the PSAC standings (conference play begins September 27 for SU), the Raiders (3-0) improve to 3-0 in regular-season matchups against the defending PSAC champion Golden Rams (2-1) since they reclassified from Division I prior to the 2011 season.

In five matchups overall since West Chester began competing in D-II, the Raiders have out-scored WCU by an 11-8 margin.

The two NCAA semifinalists from a season ago played even throughout Tuesday's contest, with Shippensburg finishing the contest with one more shot than West Chester, and SU holding a 9-5 advantage in penalty corners.

"It wasn't only West Chester we were playing, we were playing the heat," said head coach Bertie Landes. "We had to play a lot of players, and the young kids really stepped up and did some great things at times when we needed spark plugs. It was a great opportunity to go against the best in the nation."

Shippensburg took the early lead four minutes in when senior Bre White sent in a pass that found senior Taylor Bender open on the right side of the goal, where Bender redirected the ball into the back of the cage past reaching WCU goalkeeper Sarah Krause.

The two teams combined for three goals in the final 10 minutes of the half, beginning with a West Chester goal scored on a rebound off a defensive save from SU freshman Taylor Fisher. The goal was the first that Raider senior goalkeeper Carenna Neely (two saves) had given up this season.

The Golden Rams took their first and only lead of the game five minutes later when Kelsi Lykens connected on a penalty-stroke fired at the top right of the cage past Neely's out-stretched left arm.

The WCU lead lasted for only a few minutes, however, as SU was awarded a penalty stroke on the other end with 2:28 left in the half. Freshman Suzanne Muller came off the bench to take the attempt, and sent in a shot to the bottom left that Krause briefly stopped before it leaked into the back of the cage. The goal was the first of Muller's career, as the Netherlands native is the first international player to score a goal in program history.

Seven minutes into the second half, senior Megan Jett scored the eventual game-winner on an unassisted strike in front of the cage for her third goal of the season.

Shippensburg nursed its one-goal lead throughout the remainder of the second half until White found senior Lauren Taylor behind Krause for an insurance goal with 2:37 remaining for a commanding 4-2 Raider lead.

The two rivals will face off again at West Chester on Wednesday, October 9 at 4 p.m., with that result counting toward the PSAC standings.

The Raiders next travel to Mansfield on Saturday for a 2 p.m. matchup against the Mountaineers.