WEST CHESTER, Pa.- Jasmine Miller (Millersville, Pa./Penn Manor) registered a Senior Day hat trick to help lead the fifth-ranked West Chester University field hockey team (7-2, 1-0) to a 6-2 victory over Slippery Rock (2-4, 0-1) in its PSAC opener on Saturday afternoon.
Before the game, West Chester honored its seven-player senior class, which included
Morgan Becker (West Chester, Pa./Rustin), Ryan Curley (Malvern, Pa./Great Valley), Millie Gallagher (Birmingham, England/Solihull School), Jasmine Miller (Millersville, Pa./Penn Manor), Adrianna Palumbo (West Deptford, N.J./West Deptford), Mackenzie Reese (Center Valley, Pa./Southern Lehigh), and Paige Wolfe (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East).
West Chester dominated the possession in the first quarter, but the Golden Rams only led by one at the break after Wolfe scored her second goal of the year following a rebound off a shot by
Gianna Funari (Vorhees, N.J./Bishop Eustace).
In the second quarter, West Chester tacked on three more goals as Miller scored in the 24
th minute on a perfect pass through the middle from
Erin O'Donnell (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) before O'Donnell scored a goal of her own two minutes later, tipping home a long pass from
Ella Shockley (Delmar, Del./Delmar).
In the 27
th minute, Funari got her first goal, hammering home a shot from the top of the circle off a penalty corner insert from Palumbo.
West Chester's four-goal advantage was matched by an impressive 17-0 advantage in shots, a 9-0 lead in shots on goal, and an 8-0 lead in corners at the end of the first 30 minutes of play.
Miller scored two more goals in the third quarter, scoring in the 33
rd minute off an assist from Wolfe, which moved her into a tie for fifth in career assists in the program's Division II history, before scoring again in the 42
nd minute off an assist from Shockley following a penalty corner.
Leading 6-0 in the fourth quarter, West Chester turned to its second unit, giving much of its starting lineup a well-deserved break at the end of a busy month of field hockey and allowing younger players to hone their skills against a different foe.
Alina Burger (Konigs Wusterhausen, Brandenburg, Germany) entered in relief of Curley for the fourth quarter and made a save while allowing a pair of goals in the 50th and 52nd minutes of play. Both Rock goals came under similar circumstances as the Rock was able to get on a rush into the West Chester defensive third and, through traffic in front of Burger, tipped the ball home to cut the deficit to 6-2.
6-2 was as close as the match would get as West Chester held off the Rock down the stretch of the fourth to secure the PSAC-opening victory.
West Chester dominated possession throughout much of the match, ending the game with a 31-4 lead in shots, including a 17-4 lead in shots on goal, while also ending the battle with a 15-0 lead in corners.
Curley earned her seventh win of the year in goal after playing the first three quarters, making one save on a shot from point-blank range midway through the third period.
For Slippery Rock, senior Grace Burker was a storyline throughout the afternoon as the veteran goalie was outstanding, making 11 tremendous saves, including four in the third quarter alone, to help slow the potent West Chester offense on Saturday afternoon.
Up Next:
West Chester returns to action on Wednesday afternoon at Bloomsburg before hosting rival Shippensburg in a showdown on Vonnie Gros Field on October 9 beginning at 4 p.m.
