Box Score
SLIPPERY ROCK, PA –
Anouk Sickman (Antwerp, Belgium/Lazac Cellepe) scored a pair of goals in the second half to lead No. 3 IUP to a 2-1 comeback win over rival Slippery Rock in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West field hockey matchup on Wednesday afternoon.
The win moves the Crimson Hawks to 10-2 on the year as they lead the PSAC West with a 6-0 record. It was also their fifth win this season over a top 10 team, as Slippery Rock entered the day ranked eighth in the nation.
A tough, defensive game throughout, it remained scoreless until The Rock's Gina Smarelli took a rebound off the pad of goalie
Sarah Lemieux (Dublin, OH/Dublin Coffman) and connected with the back of the cage, putting Slippery Rock on top 1-0 in the 20th minute.
IUP would only get a couple more good looks to score in the first half, including a shot by
Chelsea Wanamaker (Oley, Pa./Oley Valley), but went into the half down by one.
It was more and more defensive action throughout most of the second half until Sickman put one past Rock goalie Courtney Lee in the 48th minute off a deflection in front of the cage.
Slippery Rock got off several shots over the next few minutes, but the Crimson Hawks goalie
Brittany Varacallo (New Britain/Central Bucks South) and the Crimson Hawks defense came up strong, deflection away three chances to keep the game knotted at one.
It remained that way until the 59th minute, when a penalty corner off the stick of
Brielle Mackey (Coopersburg/Southern Lehigh) resulted in Sickman's second goal of the day, putting IUP in front 2-1 with just over 10 minutes remaining.
The defensive play by the Crimson Hawks continued to pull through in crunch time, limiting The Rock to just one shot with 2:02 remaining to preserve their seventh consecutive victory.
Lemieux and Varacallo split time in the cage for IUP, collecting five total saves on the day. The Crimson Hawks outshot Slippery Rock 12-9, accumulating seven corners to The Rock's five.
The Crimson Hawks continue their road trip as they head to Mansfield on Saturday.
