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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University field hockey team looks to extend its perfect start to the 2014 season Saturday when its hosts Limestone College, which is also undefeated. The game is scheduled to get underway at 1 p.m. from Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
 
Live Coverage: In addition to live statistics and updates on Twitter (@Rock_Athletics), the Slippery Rock University athletic communication office will provide a live video broadcast of Saturday's showdown. The event will be viewable on most internet browsers and all mobile devices, including iPhones and iPads and devices operating on the Android system. Links to all coverage options can be found at the top of this page.
 
Records: Slippery Rock enters Saturday's non-conference matchup riding a three game win-streak, matching the program's best start in the last 19 seasons. SRU kept the win-streak alive with a 2-1 victory over Seton Hill Wednesday, moving to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.
 
Limestone College, undefeated at 2-0, presents a tough challenge for The Rock. The Saints cruised to a 5-0 victory in the season-opener over Newberry, before blanking No. 6 Bloomsburg 3-0 last Saturday. Limestone finished 15-5 overall last fall and was picked as the favorite to win the inaugural ECAC Division II Field Hockey League.
 
Implications: The winner of Saturday's showdown is likely to emerge into the National Field Hockey Coaches Association rankings next week. With a win, The Rock would also mark the program's best start since the 1978 squad started the season 4-0.
 
Scouting The Rock: Slippery Rock has featured a balanced offensive attack and stellar goalkeeper play in its first three victories of the 2014 season. SRU has outscored opponents 7-3 over its opening week and holds edges of 48-33 in total shots, 32-23 in shots on goal and 30-27 in penalty corners. Junior goalie Carlee DuMars has been strong in front of the cage for The Rock, going 3-0 thanks to a shutout, 18 saves and 0.857 save percentage. Offensively, six different players have notched a goal for Slippery Rock, led by seniors Anna Swearingen (2g) and Allison Shade (1g, 1a). Seniors Kaili Simmons and Kelsey Gustafson, along with sophomore Kylie McCarty and freshman Kailee Krupski, have each tallied a goal.
 
Scouting the Saints: Limestone is outscoring opponents 8-0 in its first two games, while posting advantages of 31-10 in shots and 23-8 in shots on goal. The Saints are being edged 18-14 in penalty corners. In 2013, Limestone was nationally ranked all eight weeks of the regular season. Returning from that team is an explosive forward in two-time NFHCA First-Team All-American Rachel Goromonzi , who led the Saints with 24 goals and 50 points last fall, both single season school records. Goromonzi was fifth in the nation in scoring last fall and currently leads the country this season. Also back is Limestone's all-time and single season assist leader in Jill Funkhouser, who recorded 12 assists a year ago. Capping off the offensive returnees is junior Rebekah Baker, who returns after posting nine goals and seven assists last season. Goromonzi leads the team again with five goals and an assist, while Funkhouser and Stembeni Zhanda have each notched a goal and two assists. Tabria Cochran has been perfect in front of the cage, holding a 2-0 record with a pair of shutouts and 1.00 save percentage on five shots faced.
 
Head Coaches: Julie Swiney, the 2012 PSAC-West Coach of the Year, enters her fifth season at the helm for Slippery Rock. She has led The Rock to four consecutive six-win seasons since 2010, including the fourth best record in school history with eight wins in 2012. After not reaching the PSAC playoffs since 1987, Swiney led The Rock to its first playoff berth in 2011 and again in 2012. Before coming to Slippery Rock, Swiney served as American International's head coach from 2006-2009. A 2003 graduate of The College of William and Mary, Swiney was a three-year starter in field hockey for the Tribe. She led the Tribe to a Top-20 national ranking in each of her three seasons and a pair of appearances in the NCAA Division I Tournament.
 
Lindsay Jackson was named the first head coach in Limestone field hockey history in November 2008 and has built the program from the ground up. Prior to joining Limestone, Jackson served as the assistant women's lacrosse coach at St. Andrews Presbyterian College for two years. While there she helped lead the Knights to one of their best seasons in program history in 2007 as the team set a number of school records. She also has coaching experience at the high school level, where she has worked as an assistant coach for Southern High School in Maryland and has also coached for the Severna Park and East Coast Field Hockey camps. Jackson attended Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa. where she played both field hockey and lacrosse. She earned All-Academic honors on four occasions and was named to the Dean's List and the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Division II Academic Honor Roll.
 
All-Time Series: In the lone meeting between the teams, The Rock defeated Limestone 1-0 during the 2010 season (Box Score). Slippery Rock held advantages of 17-4 in total shots, 6-1 in shots on goal and 12-4 in penalty corners. Gabrielle Malishchak scored the game's only goal and Lisa Belcastro served a shutout to propel SRU in the win.
 
Next Up: The Rock returns to PSAC action Wednesday, Sept. 10, when it heads to Erie for a showdown with Mercyhurst at 4 p.m.