By Kyle Krajewski
Sports Editor

The Golden Bears field hockey team was able to knock in two second-half goals to propel   tendance to celebrate 50 seasons of KU field hockey.

KU got on the board early as freshman Rachel Dusman pushed one past the goalie in just the second minute of play. The remainder of the first half was controlled by the Golden Bears, outshooting Slippery Rock 11-3.

Slippery Rock was able to sneak one of their three shots into the goal with less than 40 seconds left to play in the first half, tying the game before the break.

Three minutes into the second half, the Golden Bears asserted their dominance going forward by taking the lead with a goal from junior Kyra Wozniak on an assist from junior Mackenzie Fuhrman. This was Wozniak’s team-leading 16th goal on the season and Fuhrman’s team-leading ninth goal on the season.

The Golden Bears began to lose some steam, losing both junior Gabby Hess and Dusman to yellow cards just 40 seconds apart, but the team held strong. Playing down two players for roughly six minutes, KU stayed strong and held off Slippery Rock from scoring.

Dusman returned to the game looking for revenge and it showed. She scored her second goal of the game in the 65th minute on a pass from sophomore Alyssa Donato, pushing KU’s lead even further to 3-1.

KU would go on to control the remainder of the game, taking as much time off the clock as needed to secure the win. This victory snaps a three-game losing streak for the Golden Bears and improves their record to 10-4, 3-3 in PSAC competition.

Junior goalie Kerri Hanshaw earned the win for the day with three saves while playing the entirety of the game. This is Hanshaw’s first win of her career.

A few days prior to the game, KU was also voted to seventh in the Division II National Coaches Poll. This is the fourth-straight week KU has been voted nationally-ranked, the sixth time this season.  This win over Slippery Rock certainly helps KU going forward in the poll as the Golden Bears find themselves ranked behind PSAC opponents West Chester, ESU and Shippensburg in the poll.

Senior McKenna Conselyea was also recently announced as a member of the 2018 Victory Sports Tours/NFHCA Division II Senior Game team. Fifty-one student-athletes were selected to the game in total. Conselyea is the heart of the KU defense, one that has only allowed 14 goals on the season. This senior game features the top senior players in the nation as they are given the opportunity to represent their school while competing against their peers.