Slippery Rock University Athletics

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The ninth-ranked Slippery Rock University field hockey team continued its winning ways with a 2-1 non-conference victory over Converse University Friday at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium
 
Slippery Rock improves its record to a perfect 4-0 on the year with the win, while the visiting Valkyries fall to 2-1.
 
SRU is now 4-0 to start a season for the first time since 1978. Friday's victory also gives The Rock their first four-game winning streak since 2017 in addition to being the first time the program has posted four consecutive home victories since 2017.
 
Slippery Rock was led in the victory by the goal-scoring duo of Grace Williams and Lucy Hutchinson. Williams has now scored three goals on the season, while Hutchinson's game-winning strike was her sixth of the season. The Hutchinson goal was assisted by Coral Piramo.
 
Hutchinson has scored goals in all four games this year and now has two four-game goal streaks in her career. Dating back to the 2002 season, Hutchinson is the only Rock athlete to have scored goals in four straight games.
 
Thanks in no small part to an aggressive second half, Slippery Rock compiled 15 shots on goal in the win. Hutchinson placed four of her seven total attempts on target with Piramo (3), Williams (2), Hilary Hoffman (3), Roz Mikulak (1), Delaney Evans (1) and Amaly Klock (1) all adding shots on goal as well.
 
Defensively, goalkeeper Sam Black played all 60 minutes and just missed out on her second shutout of the year, while Haylie Sucharski made her second defensive save of 2026.
 
As they have done all year, The Rock once again came out fast to open Friday's game in the form of a goal by Williams, who corralled a saved shot off a Hutchinson attempt and calmly slid the ball into the back of the cage just four minutes into regulation.
 
SRU's lead proved to be short-lived as Converse's Isabella Massafra deflected a Sol Garcia Berro attempt past Black to bring the game into a 1-1 tie four minutes later in the ninth minute.
 
Not to be outdone, Slippery Rock answered back just five minutes into the second quarter when Hutchinson corralled Piramo's pass from the middle of a congested circle and beat CU goalkeeper Alina Puentes by sneaking a shot just inside the near post, giving The Rock a 2-1 advantage it would take into halftime.
 
Slippery Rock now holds a +10 (11-1) scoring margin in the first half of games in 2026.
 
The one goal edge proved to be all The Rock needed. While SRU did up its shot production in the second half with 15 attempts in the final 30 minutes, it could never add an insurance goal. However, a stout Rock defense allowed a mere three Converse shots in the second half, none of which ended up being the equalizer, as Slippery Rock cruised to the 2-1 decision.
 
Slippery Rock ended the game holding advantages over Converse in total shots (21-4), shots on goal (15-2) and penalty corners (9-3).
 
With its four-game homestand now concluded, Slippery Rock embarks on a five-game road swing beginning 5 p.m. Sept. 22 at Roberts Wesleyan University. SRU defeated RWU, 3-0, at home a season ago.
 
A victory over the Firebirds would give SRU its second-best start to a season in program history behind only the 1976 team that won its first six games of the year.  






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