Box Score (HTML)
 
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The tenth-ranked Slippery Rock University field hockey team was toppled 2-1 in overtime by Mercyhurst in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference action on a chilly Saturday night from Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
 
The game was held scoreless into halftime as each team flexed their muscles defensively through bitter-cold temperatures and snow flurries.  
 
Kylie McCarty struck first to give Slippery Rock a 1-0 lead midway through the second half. Kelsey Gustafson passed a penalty corner to the top of the zone, where Baylee Childress collected the ball and blasted a pass to McCarty, who found the back of the cage with the deflection to break the scoreless affair in the 48th minute. 
 
Mercyhurst broke free for what appeared to be the game-tying goal in the 61st minute, but Childress stepped in with a huge defensive save to preserve The Rock's narrow lead.
 
The Lakers netted the equalizer less than two minutes later, however, as Jessica Hillman deflected a hard cross from Kelley Hynes past The Rock goalkeeper to tie the match at 1-1 in the 63rd minute.
 
The Rock produced two more opportunities in the waning minutes of regulation, but were held off the board as the game went into extras.
 
Michelle Couch finessed her way through several Lakers defenders in the opening moments of overtime, but the ball just rolled off her stick as the Mercyhurst keeper made a charging save.
 
The Lakers would secure the upset minutes later. Carlee DuMars made a diving save on a dangerous shot from Blair Pembleton in the 83rd minute of overtime, but the ball caromed off her pads and found Hynes, who snuck a shot through traffic into the back of the cage for the game-winner at the 82:09 mark of overtime.
 
Mercyhurst finished the match with advantages in total shots (9-7), shots on goal (6-5) and penalty corners (10-4).
 
McCarty netted the lone-Rock goal, her second of the year, while Childress registered an assist and a defensive save. Childress' defensive save increases her career total to 20, the highest mark in SRU program history.
 
DuMars was tagged for the loss after allowing two goals and making three saves to fall to 9-8 on the season.
 
With the loss, No. 10 SRU falls to 9-8 overall and into sixth-place in the PSAC standings at 7-6. Meanwhile, Mercyhurst leapfrogs The Rock and now sit at 9-7 overall and 7-5 in conference play.
 
The Rock, currently slated as the sixth-seed in the PSAC playoffs, can only be caught by Kutztown for the final playoff berth. Due to head-to-head tiebreaker criteria, Slippery Rock earns a playoff spot with a win or a Kutztown loss. The Rock returns to action in its regular season-finale next Saturday at No. 2 West Chester, while Kutztown hosts No. 1 Millersville Wednesday and travels to No. 8 East Stroudsburg next Saturday.