Roster  |  Schedule  |  2021 Statistics
 
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University field hockey team was picked to finish ninth in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division this year, the league office announced Monday with the release of its annual preseason coaches' poll.
 
While Slippery Rock will be tasked with replacing 66.7 percent of its goal production (24-of-36) from a season ago, SRU does return 10 athletes who appeared in all 16 games in 2021, eight of which started at least 10 games including The Rock's lone all-conference honoree Addy Ross.
  
Shippensburg, the defending national champions, were predicted to win the conference after receiving four first-place votes followed in the top four of the poll by West Chester, East Stroudsburg and Kutztown – all of which garnered two first-place votes apiece.
 
Millersville was slotted fifth with Bloomsburg, Mansfield, Indiana (Pa.), The Rock and Mercyhurst rounding out the poll. The top six teams in standings at the conclusion of the regular season will qualify for the PSAC Tournament.

Annually the toughest field hockey conference in Division II, 28 of the previous 32 national champions dating back to 1981 season have come from the PSAC.
 
THE COACHING STAFF
The 2022 season will mark the third year in which head coach Rayell Wallace (Heistand) has been in charge of the Slippery Rock field hockey program. Wallace, the 13th coach in program history, came to Slippery Rock following six years as an assistant coach on the NCAA Division I level.
 
After guiding The Rock field hockey program through the difficulties of a canceled season in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic in what would have been her first year at SRU, Wallace led Slippery Rock to a 7-9 overall record in 2021; narrowly missing out on qualifying for the PSAC Tournament with a league mark of 4-6.
 
The Rock finished the 2021 season by winning three of their final four games with the lone loss coming to eventual champion Shippensburg.
 
Missy Revesz will be entering her fifth year overall as an assistant coach for Slippery Rock this year. As the top assistant on Wallace's staff, Revesz plays an integral role in all facets of the program. Since her arrival at Slippery Rock, Revesz has helped coach SRU to 18 wins on the field, five PSAC Team GPA awards and two National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division II Team GPA awards. 
 
SENIOR CLASS
The Rock's three-athlete senior class consists of veteran defenders Ross and Haley Plitt as well as midfielder Kayla Del Vecchio.
 
Ross, who made one defensive save on the season, was voted to the All-PSAC Team a year ago following a breakout season in which she started all 16 games and anchored a Rock defense that limited opponents to two goals or less nine times.
 
Offensively, Ross scored one goal and placed five of her 11 shots for the season on target. Ross' contributions to The Rock go beyond any one statistic as she is vital to SRU's success because of her stellar distribution skills, strong defense and great communication on the field.
 
Del Vecchio has been a constant on the field for The Rock over her career as she has played in 33 of a possible 34 games since joining the program. A season ago, she started all 16 games and produced five points on one goal and three assists while ranking third on the team in total shots with 21.
 
Originally a member of the 2018 freshman class, Plitt returned to The Rock's defense a season ago to appear in all 16 games with 15 starts and playing the third most minutes on the roster.
 
JUNIOR CLASS
After having their freshman years largely wiped out due to the cancelation of the 2020 season, the junior class of midfielder Gabriella Delcoco, forward/midfielder Alex Held, midfielder/defender Samantha Karmonick and midfielder Erin Roland all officially began their Rock careers a season ago.
 
Karmonick started all 16 games before finishing the year with seven points on two goals and three assists. Karmonick, who put seven of her 10 shots on target as a sophomore, concluded the year tied for second on the team in assists.
 
Delcoco also returns after a 2021 season in which she made 10 starts over 16 contests appeared in while playing the ninth most minutes of any position player on last year's roster.
 
Roland scored two goals and made one assist while starting the first seven games of 2021. Held will be making her official collegiate debut this year after not appearing in a game a season ago.
 
SOPHOMORE CLASS
After playing key roles for The Rock in their first collegiate seasons in 2021, the sophomore class of goalkeeper Grace Burker, forward Bailee Christman, midfielder/forward Leslie Colliver, midfielder/defender Nadia Irving and midfielder Haley Metcalf will all look to take the next step in their collective development in 2022.
 
Burker started all 16 games and played what amounted to all but roughly four quarters on the year, making 75 saves (.658) with a 2.63 goals against average while having a part in two shutouts. Across Division II, Burker ranked fifth among freshmen goalies in both total saves and GAA. Her seven wins also matched a Slippery Rock record for victories by a freshman goalkeeper.
 
Colliver is The Rock's leading returning goal scorer after she netted three goals over 16 games, six of which were starts, as a freshman. Colliver was also credited with two assists for eight total points in addition to making one defensive save.
 
Irving was one of six Rock athletes to start all 16 games a year ago. She ranked second on the team in assists with three while scoring one goal and tallying one defensive save.
 
Christman started 10 of her 16 games played in 2021 while totaling six points on two goals and two assists and placing eight of her nine shots on target. Metcalf came off the bench to play in all 16 games as a reserve during her rookie season, finishing the year with one assist.
 
Midfielder Jill Ellis, a native of Bapsfontein, South Africa, also returns to The Rock in 2022 after missing her rookie campaign a year ago.
 
Gianna Conti is the newest member of SRU's sophomore class as she transferred to Slippery Rock after playing her freshman season at Belmont Abbey. While with the Crusaders, Conti recorded team-highs of 12 goals, which ranked 14th in Division II, and 25 total points while leading BAC to an 11-8 record. For her efforts, she was named to Synapse Sports' Division II All-Rookie Team in addition to garnering first team All-South Atlantic Conference Carolinas accolades.
 
FRESHMEN CLASS
Joining Conti in The Rock's 2022 recruiting class is the rookie quartet of goalkeeper Kathryn Denham (Goshen, Kentucky), defender Sammy Graci (Henryville, Pennsylvania), forward Grace Maynard (Fredericksburg, Virginia) and forward/midfielder Megan Rude (Tonawanda, New York).
 
THE SCHEDULE
Slippery Rock's 2022 schedule consists of 17 games. In addition to its nine-game PSAC slate, SRU will also compete in eight non-conference contests.
 
The Rock's PSAC schedule consists of games versus East Stroudsburg (Sept. 17-H), Shippensburg (Oct. 7-H), Mansfield (Oct. 12-A), Millersville (Oct. 21-A), Mercyhurst (Oct. 26-H), West Chester (Oct. 29-A), IUP (Nov. 2-H), Kutztown (Nov. 6-H) and Bloomsburg (Nov. 12-A).
 
In addition to its conference games, SRU will play non-league bouts against Pace (Sept.4-Gaffney, South Carolina), Belmont Abbey (Sept. 5-Gaffney, South Carolina), Franklin Pierce (Sept. 9-H), Lincoln Memorial (Sept. 11-H), Lindenwood (Sept. 24-A), Maryville (Sept. 25-A), Lindenwood (Oct.2-H) and Frostburg State (Oct. 14-H).
 
A comprehensive breakdown of Slippery Rock's 2022 schedule, roster and coaching staff can be found by following the corresponding links at the top of the page.
 
2022 PSAC Preseason Coaches' Poll
First-place votes in parentheses
1) Shippensburg (4)
2) West Chester (2)
3) East Stroudsburg (2)
4) Kutztown (2)
5) Millersville
6) Bloomsburg
7) Mansfield
8) Indiana (Pa.)
9) Slippery Rock
10) Mercyhurst
 
 
 
 


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