SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Slippery Rock University field hockey team returned to its winning ways with a 2-1 overtime victory on the road Sunday at Converse University.
With the win, Slippery Rock improves its record to 3-1 overall while the host Valkyries fall to 2-2. The victory gives SRU its best four-game start to a season since 2022. Sunday's game served as The Rock second overtime game in as many days.
Lucy Hutchinson registered her fourth goal of the season, and third game-winning score, to highlight the victory. Hutchinson has scored a goal in every game this year for SRU.
Roz Mikulak assisted on Hutchinson's latest goal.
Hilary Hoffman scored her first goal of 2025. The reigning All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference selection has four points (1 goal / 2 assists) over The Rock's opening two weeks of the year.
SRU placed nine of its 15 shots on target against Converse. The quartet of Hutchinson, Hoffman, Mikulak and
Coral Piramo each placing two attempts on goal with
Riley Cloude accounting for a S.O.G. as well.
In her first collegiate start, goalkeeper
Emily Newton made seven saves while playing all 69:22 in the win.
Slippery Rock controlled possession for much of the game, earning numerous scoring chances. To their credit, the Valkyries were able to clear all eight of The Rock's penalty corners in the opening half in addition to negating four shots to keep the game in a scoreless tie through 30 minutes.
Coming out of the break, Newton made two saves in the first eight minutes of the third quarter as SRU thwarted an early second-half surge by Converse.
Slippery Rock finally broke through the Converse defense in the 45th minute. On SRU's 12th corner of the game, goalie Alina Puentes made a trifecta of saves with stops of Mikulak and two Piramo attempts. However, Hoffman corralled Piramo's second attempt and promptly sent a shot by Puentes and into the back of the cage.
However, a regulation finish was not to be as Sage Pilarski found the game-tying score at 54:26 in the fourth quarter. Both teams recorded one shot following Pilarski's goal, but Converse's attempt was blocked by The Rock's defense and a Hutchinson attempt sailed just wide in the quarter's waning seconds.
Slippery Rock and Converse traded possession for the near entirety of overtime before a Rock corner saw Hutchinson send an entry pass into Mikulak, who proceeded to navigate around two CU defenders before finding Hutchinson with a return pass. Hutchinson wasted little time, firing home the game-winning goal in front of the cage.
Slippery Rock held advantages over Converse in total shots (15-14), shots on goal (9-8) and penalty corners (17-9).
SRU continues its non-conference schedule Sept. 19 at No. 4 Shippensburg University. Start time is set for noon.
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