WEST CHESTER, Pa. - Top-ranked Shippensburg converted a penalty stroke with 10 minutes left in the game, and then held on during a late West Chester rally, to come away with a 3-2 road win over the No. 5 Golden Rams at Vonnie Gros Field Tuesday afternoon.
West Chester (6-4, 1-3 PSAC) pulled within one on a goal with four minutes remaining, but Shippensburg (9-1, 4-0) didn't let the Golden Rams get the equalizer on a comfortable Tuesday afternoon. Shippensburg had moved into the No. 1 spot in the National Field Hockey Coaches' Association (NFHCA) polls earlier in the day and defended that ranking in its first outing.
The Raiders jumped out to a 1-0 lead by halftime with a goal in the 25th minute. Another tally shortly after the break doubled Shippensburg's lead. However,
Rachal Toppi (Glassboro, N.J./Glassboro) cut the deficit in half on a penalty stroke, before the Raiders restured that lead with 10 minutes left.
Caitlin Kelly (Coatesville, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) got the Golden Rams within striking distance, but the equalizer never came.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Shippensburg established a pair of two-goal leads, which was too much for West Chester to overcome in the end.
- Rachal Toppi scored her team-high ninth goal of the season while Caitlin Kelly added her fifth.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
- West Chester held a 15-9 advantage in shots, despite Shippensburg holding a slight 9-7 edge in penalty corners.
-
Marissa Elizardo (North Wales, Pa./North Penn) made three saves in the cage for West Chester
- Shippensburg's Ali Mooney recorded 10 stops to earn the win.
