Box Score
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Sr. Ashely Pyle (Springfield, Pa./Garnet Valley) registered a hat trick while fellow senior Olivia Martin (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) produced a game-high four points as visiting West Chester mounted a valiant comeback and defeated host Slippery Rock, 10-8, Saturday afternoon.
West Chester (8-2, 5-1 PSAC) ranked number 11 in the country, found itself trailing early throughout the first half, 5-1. Early mistakes and fouls became an issue as Slippery Rock's Chynna Chan found an unassisted scored. Tori Penders would later score off of a free position within the first six minutes. However, Sami Barnett (Glenolden, Pa./Interboro) scored the only goal during the first half with 20:18 left, before the Rock went on a 3-0 run to close the half.
Slippery Rock (9-2, 4-2) found another goal to open the second half and push its lead to five - its largest of the game - before Pyle answered back with an unassisted goal with 22:09 left that sparked a 9-2 run to close out the game and complete the come-from-behind victory. Senior Dina Cifelli (Robbinsville, N. J./Notre Dame) picked up her only assist of the game on a pass to Pyle during that run.
Four different Golden Rams scored during that late push. Emily Schulze (Harleysville, Pa./North Penn), Tatum Altman (North Brunswick, N. J./North Brunswick), Barnett and Martin also contributed to those goals. West Chester scored three "up" goals and a "down" goal in the second half.
The Golden Rams would later score three goals within a time span of twelve minutes. Martin earned a free position goal while Pyle notched her 28th for the year. Freshman Tara Morrissey (Downingtown, Pa./Bishop Shanahan) earned her 13th goal for the season en route the comeback win.
Nicole Martins (Bethlehem, Pa./Saucon Valley) made seven saves in the cage to pick up her eighth win of the season.
West Chester will travel to Lock Haven University on Wednesday for another PSAC contest at 4 p.m.
