GAME NOTES
• The Marauders prepare for The Rock, following a dominant win over Shippensburg on Tuesday. The Millersville defense held Shippensburg to only four goals while the offense ripped off 13 goals of its own.
• Millersville sits 3-3 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference while Slippery Rock sits at 2-3. Both teams are on the outside of the final PSAC playoff spots, but both teams also sport one-goal upsets over ranked-conference opponents. Ville earned a win over No. 22 Lock Haven last week while The Rock earned a win over No. 19 IUP on the same day. Millersville's game against Slippery Rock is the last at home before a three-game stretch away from Biemesderfer Stadium. Slippery Rock's journey to Millersville is the first of its own three-game stretch away from home.
• Millersville and Slippery Rock faced off last April at Biemesderfer Stadium. Needing a win to keep its playoff hopes alive, Millersville defeated Slippery Rock 9-8, but the win came with a lot white knuckles and bitten nails. The Marauders took a 9-5 lead with 14 minutes remaining in the game. However, the Rock roared back and cut Millersville's lead to one, with just over four minutes remaining in the game. Millersville won the following draw control and killed over three minutes off the clock. The Rock had less than a minute to force one last desperation attempt for an equalizer.
• Junior
Bryana Weston-Wyatt shined in her first start of the season in goal against Shippensburg. She made eight saves and only conceded one goal on four free-position attempts.
• Senior
Morgan Masiejczyk's defensive unit gave Shippensburg's offense fits. The defense closed off passing lanes, marked players cutting towards the goal, and double-teamed players trying to pass the ball around the goal. Another defensive performance like that from Millerville could hold The Rock to their fourth single-digit scoring game in their last six outings.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
• Slippery Rock currently sits ninth in the PSAC after starting the conference season 2-3. The Rock sports a 6-3 overall record and a 4-1 record away from home. Slippery Rock pulled a 16-15 upset over No. 19 IUP a couple days before Millersville lost its match at IUP. Slippery Rock arrives in Millersville with momentum on its side after a 16-4 demolition of Seton Hill.
• While The Rock sits dead center in the conference with 123 goals scored, the team sits fourth in the conference with only 82 goals allowed. Goalie Emily Bitka ranks second in the conference in save percentage while ranking in the top-10 in goals against average. Scoring on Bitka is a difficult task, and Millersville's offense will need to be accurate and efficient with its shots.
• Slippery Rock is one of the most aggressive teams in the conference. The Rock ranks second in the PSAC with 122 caused turnovers. Millersville must take care of possession, or the game could get away from them quickly. Slippery Rock's aggression is also detrimental to its efforts. The team ranks in the top-5 with 217 turnovers. Millersville's
Sarah Leverentz,
Jasa Lorah, and
Natalie Sukanick lead the team in caused turnovers and groundballs. Their opportunistic style of play could play a big role in Millersville's overall performance.
• Slippery Rock only has 42 assists tied to its 123 goals, and The Rock relies on individual efforts instead. Six Slippery Rock players scored double-digit goals this season, but Tia Torchia is the player that will require the most attention. The midfielder leads the team with 22 goals, and she scored six on the vaunted IUP defense.Â
