SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University field hockey team will look to earn its first league victory of the season when it travels to Mansfield University for a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference road game 4 p.m. Wednesday.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Live video and in-game statistics are being provided for the game courtesy of the Mansfield Athletic Communications office at the below links.
 
GAME 10 DETAILS
Opponent: Mansfield University
Date: Wednesday – 4 p.m.
Location: Karl Van Norman Field – Mansfield, Pennsylvania
Live Video: Link
Live Stats: Link
In-match Updates: Twitter (@Rock_Athletics)
All-Time Series: MU leads 28-18-4
Last Played: Oct. 5, 2021 (SRU won 2-1)
 
ALL-TIME SERIES
While Mansfield holds a 28-18-4 record in the all-time series which dates back to 1984, SRU has won nine of its last 14 games against the Mountaineers including a 2-1 home victory a season ago.  
 
SLIPPERY ROCK PRIMER
Roster: Link
Season Stats: Link
Overall Record: 5-4
PSAC Record: 0-2
PSAC Standings: T-9th
Home Record: 3-2
Away Record: 1-1
Neutral Site Record: 1-1
Streak: L1
Last 5 Games: 2-3
Head Coach: Rayell Wallace | Third Year at SRU (12-13, .480)

SCOUTING THE ROCK
LAST TIME OUT
Slippery Rock suffered a 6-0 setback to third-ranked Shippensburg Oct. 7 at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
 
BOUNCE-BACK GAME
Slippery Rock is 6-4 over the last two years under head coach Rayell Wallace in game's following a loss. SRU has also not been shutout in back-to-back games over the last two seasons.
 
A WIN WOULD…
· A win over Mansfield would give SRU a 6-4 record, tying this year's team for the third-best 10-game start to a season at The Rock since 1990. Only the 2017 and 1998 Rock teams would have better records through its first 10 games over the last 32 years.
 
Best SRU Record through 10 games (Since 1990)
2017: 7-3
1998: 7-3
2012: 6-4
1991: 6-4
 
· A win over Mansfield would also give SRU its first win over a ranked team since beating No. 5 Kutztown 3-2 in 2017 while also serving as The Rock's first road victory over a ranked team since downing No. 3 West Chester 4-3 in 2017.
 
SOLID STARTS
Slippery Rock holds a +4 scoring margin (11-7) in the first half of games this season as opposed to its -3 mark in the second half of contests (12-15).
 
BALANCED ATTACK
While Erin Roland (5) and Bailee Christman (4) have combined to score 39 percent of The Rock's goals this season (9-of-23), SRU features a roster in which virtually every position player has proven capable of scoring.
 
Entering the Mansfield game, Leslie Colliver and Gianna Conti have scored three goals each while Samantha Karmonick and Megan Rude having added two scores apiece with Kayla Del Vecchio, Haley Metcalf, Nadia Irving and Addy Ross having all scored once.
 
SETTING UP THE OFFENSE
Del Vecchio opens the week ranked fourth in the PSAC with five assists on the season. Colliver has assisted on three goals as well while the trio of Metcalf, Irving and Roland have two each followed by Christman, Conti, Karmonick, Ross, Sammy Graci and Gabriella Delcoco with one apiece.

PEPPERING THE CAGE
Through nine games, Slippery Rock averages 8.6 shots on goal per game. Roland leads the way with 14 shots on goal, six of which have come over the last three games. Ross has added 13 followed in the top five on the team by Christman (11) and Colliver (9).

SRU has not finished a season averging more than 8.0 shots on goal per game since 2013 (9.3).
 
THE ROCK DEFENSE
Starting goalkeeper Grace Burker, a veteran of 25 collegiate games, has played all but 30 minutes for The Rock this season. Over nine starts in 2022 she has made 56 saves with a 2.58 goals against average and a .718 save percentage. She ranks 11th in the nation in saves per game at 6.22.
 
Burker, who has made 131 saves over her career, is now seven saves away from passing Ashley Winkelstecht (2006-07) for seventh on The Rock's career saves list.
 
Irving, Ross and Alex Held all have defensive saves this season as well.
 
PREVIOUSLY VS. MANSFIELD
Nine players on this year's roster played in SRU's 2021 victory over Mansfield. Karmonick assisted on the game-winning goal while Burker made three saves with Ross contributing a defensive save and a pair of shots on goal.
 
ROCK 6TH IN D2 IN CORNERS
Despite recording just two penalty corners against Shippensburg, Slippery Rock still ranks sixth in the nation in penalty corners per game at 10.67.
 
WINS vs. NATIONALLY RANKED TEAMS
Since the 2010 season, Slippery Rock has won nine games against nationally ranked teams. The Rock's previous wins against nationally ranked teams include victories against Kutztown (2017 / No. 5), West Chester (2017 / No. 3), East Stroudsburg (2014 / No. 5), Bloomsburg (2013 / No. 7), Indiana (2011 / No. 6, 2010 / No. 7, 2010 / No. 8) and LIU Post (2010 / No. 5).
 
NEXT FIVE MATCHES
Oct. 14 (6 p.m.) vs. Frostburg State – Alumni Day
Oct. 21 (3 p.m.) at Millersville
Oct. 26 (4 p.m.) vs. Mercyhurst – Make-A-Wish Game
Oct. 29 (4 p.m.) at West Chester
Nov. 2 (4 p.m.) vs. Indiana (Pa.) – Mental Health Awareness Day
 
MANSFIELD PRIMER
Roster: Link
Season Stats: Link
Overall Record: 5-5
PSAC Record: 0-2
PSAC Standings: T-9th
Home Record: 2-1
Away Record: 1-4
Neutral Site Record: 2-0
Streak: L2
Last 5 Games: 2-3
Head Coach: Brittany Hansrote | Seventh Year at MU (55-82, .401)
 
SCOUTING MANSFIELD
The nationally ranked Mountaineers are led by the duo of Alex Esterling and Kenedy Stroup. Esterling is fourth in the PSAC in total points with 18 on seven goals and four assists while Stroup has scored six goals.
 
In addition to scoring four goals, Saramae Radel has also distributed four assists.
 
Goalkeeper August Lewis has played every second of Mansfield this season, making 33 saves on a .673 save percentage to go with a 1.58 GAA and four shutouts.
 
In last year's game against The Rock, Stroup scored Mansfield's lone goal while Lewis made one save.
 
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock steps out of conference competition when it hosts Frostburg State University 6 p.m. Friday on Alumni Day at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.




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