SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Freshman Valen Alonso scored off a quick re-start with 7:53 remaining Tuesday to put the No. 5 Shippensburg University field hockey team past No. 8 Millersville, 3-2, in an NCAA Division II showcase matchup from Robb Sports Complex.
 
Shippensburg (9-3, 3-2 PSAC) posted its second straight 3-2 victory in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) play to situate itself back in the Top 4 of the conference standings at the midway point of the league season.
 
Tuesday's game with Millersville (6-4, 2-2) was selected by NCAA Division II as a showcase matchup, as the contest was aired live on the NCAA Division II Twitter and Facebook pages as well as the teams' respective Facebook pages. It will re-air on the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 20.
 
Sophomore Caitlyn Wink was selected by the television crew as the Player of the Game – she scored SU's first goal with a marvelous re-direct high into the net from a shot by sophomore Jazmin Petrantonio, and later made a key defensive save in the second half that kept the score at 1-1.
 
The Marauders opened the scoring with 14:22 left in the first half when Annabelle Tierney captured an attempted clear and fired it low into the cage. Wink's goal came with 5:39 left in the opening half, and made the score 1-1 at halftime.
 
SU took a 2-1 lead with 21:15 remaining when freshman Jenna Sluymer dribbled into space and fired a high rocket into the top left of the cage for her fifth goal of the season. With 12 minutes remaining, MU answered to make it 2-2 when Asia Weaver finished a cross for her first collegiate goal.
 
Alonso's go-ahead tally was her third goal of the season and her first collegiate game-winner. After a foul, Alonso had a quick re-start, dribbled into space and delivered a high shot for the final tally of the match.
 
Both teams recorded eight shots on goal in the contest, while Millersville finished with a 10-5 advantage in penalty corners. Redshirt-senior Ally Mooney made five saves for the Raiders in the victory.
 
Tuesday's match started approximately 45 minutes late due to difficulty for Millersville arriving at Shippensburg as a result of excessive interstate traffic and road closures.
 
UP NEXT: Saturday, 11 a.m. at Bloomsburg.