MILLERSVILLE, Pa. -Â The Millersville women's soccer team clinched its first PSAC playoff berth since 2021 with a 2-1 victory over Shippensburg.
Millersville set the pace early, knowing a playoff berth was within reach for the first time in four years. The Marauders recorded four shots on goal in the first 20 minutes of play.
At the 31-minute mark, Millersville subbed in Ashlyn Calabria, and it did not take her long to make an impact. Calabria scored the first goal of the match to give the Marauders a 1–0 lead.
Millersville nearly struck again when Aubrey Strohecker found an open look on goal but just missed the mark, narrowly missing the chance to extend the lead. The Marauders carried their 1–0 advantage into halftime.
Caroline Wood opened the second half with a shot that hit off the crossbar. Shippensburg quickly countered, driving down the field and forcing a save from freshman goalkeeper Alex Miranda, who was making her first collegiate start. The rebound landed at the feet of a Shippensburg player, who converted to tie the match 1–1.
The Marauders responded with increased intensity, pressuring the Raiders' defense with a flurry of shots. Over a 10-minute stretch, Millersville earned four corner kicks and took six total shots.
The offensive push continued as Isabel Coy fired another attempt that was saved, followed by two on-target shots from Strohecker that were also stopped. With just three minutes remaining, freshman Brook Balliet connected with Strohecker for the game-winning goal, sealing a 2–1 victory for Millersville.
With today's victory, Millersville jumps up to third in the PSAC East standings with a 7-4-3 record. The Marauders will be on a bye next week before returning to action on November 5th for their last regular season game.Â
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- Calabria makes it back to back games with a goal
- Strohecker scored her 10th goal of the season
- Miranda earned her first collegiate win
THOUGHTS FROM HEAD COACH MATT PROCOPIO
- How did you feel about the team's performance in the final 10 minutes, particularly the way the girls kept pushing for the win and secured those valuable three points to climb up the standings? "The girls did a great job battling to the very end. We created a lot of chances and I'm glad Aubrey was able to find the winner, well desrved for her today.
- What's the message to the girls going into a bye week, knowing they have clinched the tournament? "Stay focused on the finding our form and finishing in the best possible position. All we can do is play the game in front of us. We will need to manage the long layoff. There are pros and cons to it but we must do our best to manage it. We did all we can to this point, so next week we can see how things unfold as the playoff picture gets clearer."
