RICHMOND, Va. – The Slippery Rock University field hockey team continued its winning ways with a 2-1 victory against Belmont Abbey College Saturday in Richmond, Virginia on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University. 
 
Slippery Rock improves its record to a perfect 3-0 in 2018 with the victory while Belmont Abbey drops to 1-1 on the year.
 
Following a scoreless first half, Belmont Abbey struck first by way of a Camrynn Aiello goal in the 46th minute. The one-goal deficit was the first time that Slippery Rock trailed in a game this season.
 
The Rock's deficit lasted exactly 12 minutes before senior Hannah Downing evened the game with her second goal of the season, an unassisted strike at 57:45.
 
SRU continued to be the aggressors and once again broke through the Crusader defense under five minutes later when sophomore Kayla Ulrich beat Belmont Abbey goalkeeper Paige Hinds for a goal, her third o 2018, on an assist by junior Brenna McGovern-Lind in the 63rd minute.
 
The 2-1 lead was more than enough for The Rock's stellar defense, which didn't allow a Belmont Abbey shot for the final 25 minutes of regulation on the way to the one-goal win.
 
Slippery Rock finished the game with 10 shots on goal, four of which came off the stick of Ulrich. Downing and sophomore Courtney Page also had two shots on goal apiece with senior Sam Geroski and freshman Jessie Trube tallying one shot on target each as well.
 
Sophomore goalkeeper Maddie Murphy played all 70 minutes Saturday, stopping three shots and allowing one goal to improve to 3-0. Through three games, Murphy has recorded a scant goals against average of 0.88.
 
For the game, Slippery Rock held advantages over Belmont Abbey in total shots (18-7), shots on goal (10-4) and penalty corners (9-1).
 
With their three-game season-opening road trip now in the past, The Rock will return home to host Washington & Jefferson College 7 p.m. Wednesday at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania.

NOTES
• Slippery Rock is 3-0 to start a season for the fifth time in school history. A win against Washington & Jefferson on Wednesday would mark just the third time in program history that SRU would be 4-0.
• Ulrich has now scored three goals in The Rock's last two games. Her goal against Belmont Abbey was the 14th of her career, the 11th most in program history.
• Ulrich also now ranks 11th all-time in career points as well with 32.
• McGovern-Lind has passed out assists in each of the last two games.
• Murphy is now 3-0 all-time when playing all 70 minutes.
• Slippery Rock ends the week with an outstanding +13 goal differential.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
• 46' Camrynn Aiello (Sophia Fuege) BAC 1 – SRU 0
• 58' Hannah Downing SRU 1 – BAC 1
• 63' Kayla Ulrich (Brenna McGovern-Lind) SRU 1 – BAC 1


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