Gallery: (10-7-2026) 2026 Field Hockey vs. #7 Slippery Rock
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – The No. 4-ranked Shippensburg University field hockey team rode the strength of a three-goal second quarter Wednesday en route to a 3-2 victory over hard-charging No. 7 Slippery Rock in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) action at sunny Robb Sports Complex.
Shippensburg (6-2, 1-1) posted a 15-2 advantage in shots on goal against previously unbeaten Slippery Rock (8-1, 1-1) but had to endure a flurry of advances from the visitors in the second half. SRU recorded eight penalty corners to SU's four.
After a scoreless opening 15 minutes, junior
Annika Madeja found the back of the cage just 76 seconds into the second quarter to put the Raiders on top. Madeja's first goal of the season and third of her career came after she slammed home a shot from close range that ended up on her stick after being thrust toward the cage by junior
Elaina Fragassi.
Ten minutes later, a pass into space by junior
Anne Gardner resulted in Slippery Rock goalkeeper Sam Black aggressively exiting the crease in an attempt to cut down the angle before senior
McKenna Boyle could run onto it. After a confrontation, Boyle was able to regain possession and negotiate space to deposit the ball around the drawn-out Black and into the cage to make it 2-0.
In the final 30 seconds of the first half, SU made it 3-0 after a whimsical goal by senior
Hannah White. After receiving the ball in the midfield, White began a run of 30-35 yards in which she proceeded to negotiate three SRU defenders and maneuver around the edge of the circle to the baseline before dribbling into space and administering a deft reverse-flick into the goal.
At the intermission, SU had outshot The Rock 11-1 despite yielding three penalty corners and had recorded nine shots on goal while not allowing any.
Following the break, the visitors began a spirited comeback by scoring just 33 seconds into the third quarter. Hilary Hoffman completed a strong run with her fifth goal of the season – a tally that seemingly revitalized her squad and flipped the tempo of the contest.
Seven minutes later, on SRU's sixth penalty corner of the game, Riley Cloude sent a shot that ramped off a Raider defender's stick and into the goal to make it 3-2.
All the while, Shippensburg continued to earn chances, but Black was up to the test. The reigning National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Defensive Athlete of the Week, who entered Wednesday having made just 20 saves through her team's first eight matches, finished with 12 – including multiple stops in each quarter. Her best was a kick save in the final five minutes – one of three stops she made in a quick sequence on an SU penalty corner.
Slippery Rock continued its push down the stretch, earning a corner in the final 90 seconds and pulling Black for an extra field player with 50 seconds remaining, but the Raider defense held strong.
White gained possession with about 20 seconds to go after SRU sent an impatient long ball from near midfield that zipped over the end line. She moved to the corner of the field and possessed the ball long enough to negate any remaining offensive chance for The Rock.
Shippensburg returns to action at 11 a.m. Saturday when it hosts No. 6 Bloomsburg at Robb Sports Complex. The Huskies posted a home shutout over No. 5 West Chester on Wednesday, 1-0.
