SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. — In its first PSAC game of the season, the ESU field hockey team took down the reigning Division II champions, the Shippensburg Raiders, on the road on Saturday afternoon, 1-0.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After a low-event first quarter, the Raiders registered the game's first shot on target, coming from the stick of McKenna Boyle. Senior goalkeeper
Sydney Pope made the stop in the opening minute of the second quarter, with the defense clearing the danger after a penalty corner right after. ESU followed up with its own chance two minutes later, but a shot from fifth-year midfielder
Elaiana Rivera-Lagalla went wide.
The Warriors had the best chance of the second half in the final minute and a half before the break. A shot by senior forward
Reagan Kunkle was blocked, but ESU got a penalty stroke out of it. Junior forward
Maddie Moline took the attempt for the Warriors, but it was no good, keeping the game scoreless after 30 minutes.
ESU came out of the break pressing for the first goal, as senior forward
Rylie McGrath and junior forward
Sydney Frantz each put shots on goal, but Liv Schweighart made stops on both looks. Rivera-Lagalla had a flurry of shots saved by Schweighart, but the last one drew a penalty corner. Junior defender
Megan Rafter swept in the insert to Rivera-Lagalla at the top of the circle to start the play, as the captain took one touch inside and fired a shot from the point. 7:05 into the third quarter, Rivera-Lagalla put ESU in the driver's seat, as the Warriors led 1-0.
After a green card on ESU, Shippensburg nearly tied it early in the fourth. A shot off a corner from Boyle was blocked, but it drew another corner for the Raiders. Juana Caracotche Picone took the next shot, but senior goalkeeper
Jet Vermeulen kept Shippensburg scoreless.
The Raiders would go without a shot on goal over the remaining 12 minutes, though they had five attempts blocked, as the Warriors would hang on to preserve the 1-0 win over the second-ranked Raiders.
UP NEXT
ESU has one more road game before returning to Whitenight Field, traveling to Mansfield on Wednesday, Oct. 7 to take on the Mountaineers at 4 p.m.
