SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - A late comeback bid by the Slippery Rock University field hockey team fell short in a 2-1 loss to No. 2 Kutztown University Friday at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
 
Following Friday's game, which served as SRU's 2024 home finale, The Rock's record moves to 3-11 overall and 0-8 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference while the nationally ranked Golden Bears snapped a three-game losing streak to improve to 11-4 overall and 5-3 inside the PSAC.
 
The result marked Slippery Rock's sixth one-goal loss of the year.
 
Slippery Rock found itself trailing 2-0 and without a shot through the opening two quarters of competition before its comeback bid began in earnest in the second half.
 
SRU came out the aggressors in the second half and recorded its first shot of the game, an attempt by Bailee Christman that was stopped in the 35th minute before earning an accompanying penalty stroke which was taken by Roz Mikulak.
 
Mikulak's attempt – a shot fired to the left side of the cage - was stopped by KU goalie Mia Kepler in diving fashion to maintain the Golden Bears' shutout bid.
 
Following the penalty stroke, The Rock tallied one more attempt in the third quarter – a shot on target by Hilary Hoffman that was saved – all the while fending off six KU attempts to maintain their two-goal deficit heading into the fourth quarter.
 
As it has done so many times throughout the 2024 season, Slippery Rock's defense once again held strong in the fourth quarter by limiting the Golden Bears to just two off target attempts in the final 15 minutes.
 
With Kutztown's offensive attack being kept in check, SRU made one final push in the game's lat minute, eventually earning a penalty corner and another penalty stroke with 25 seconds left in regulation. This attempt was taken by Sammy Graci, who calmly buried an attempt past Kepler for The Rock's first goal.   
 
However, Slippery Rock was unable to find a game-tying goal in the contest's waning moments as KU maintained possession for the remainder of regulation off the ensuing pass back to escape The Rock with a one-goal victory.
 
Graci's goal was her first of the season.
 
Christman closed the game with a team-high two shots while Graci, Mikulak, Hoffman and Riley Cloude posted one attempt apiece.
 
Goalkeeper Grace Burker paced The Rock's defensive efforts with three saves in 60 minutes.
 
Kutztown ended the game holding advantages over SRU in total shots (14-6) and penalty corners (12-2) while both teams had five shots on goal. Greenleigh McGehee and Jocelyn Morgan accounted for Kutztown's goals.
 
Slippery Rock opens the final week of its 2024 season 2 p.m. Oct. 29 at Mercyhurst University, which left the PSAC at the end of the 2023-24 academic year to move to Division I. SRU has won four straight games against the Lakers and seven of the last eight matchups in the series overall.
 
 
 
 

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