Sonic The Hedgehog

Photos by Jonathan Bergmueller/The Slate Breann Sheckells (left) and Michaela Vallonio plan upcoming events to promote The Slate. “Michaela and I have a good dynamic. We are both in PRSSA and AMA,” Sheckells said. “We’re usually on the same page.”

Slaters of the Month: Breann Sheckells and Michaela Vallonio

Jonathan Bergmueller Editor-in-Chief

Breann Sheckells and Michaela Vallonio are the Slaters of the Month for February.

This month’s Slaters of the Month were both born Aug. 9, 1998. They major in communication/journalism and have an emphasis in public relations. They also minor in business and perform behind-the-scenes public relations for The Slate.

As The Slate’s public relations dream team, Sheckells and Vallonio will share the award this month.

Breann Sheckells is The Slate’s public relations director.

For the past few years, Sheckells and Vallonio worked behind the scenes to provide The Slate with promotional content. From fliers, open houses and scheduling posts on The Slate’s social media, the two tagteamed public relations to make the organization look good.

“[The Slate gave me] the opportunity to create promotional ideas, promoting events, meeting other people and telling them what I do,” Vallonio said.

The two met as friends down the hall in the Seavers Hall on-campus before they joined The Slate. Back then, Sheckells had an emphasis in electronic media. She joined The Slate as the assistant web director in 2016. She later signed on as public relations director when the previous director graduated. Around the same time, she changed her major emphasis to public relations.

Vallonio joined The Slate her sophomore year as Sheckells’ assistant. While her title reads “assistant public relations director,” Vallonio and Sheckells agree it is an equal power dynamic. They split the workload and delegate tasks between themselves.

“Michaela and I have a good dynamic. We are both in PRSSA and AMA,” Sheckells said. “We’re usually on the same page.”

In addition to working at The Slate, both Sheckells and Vallonio are a part of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and the American Marketing Association (AMA). Sheckells also performs with SU’s In-Motion Dance Troupe, and has been the group historian since her sophomore year.

They both have internships to give them real-world experience. Sheckells interned at Forrester Farm Equipment and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. She previously interned at Tierney Communications and D&H Distributing. Vallonio is interning at SU Magazine and Fischtank PR + Marketing.

Sheckells’ favorite part of public relations is reputation building and brand management and wants to pursue a career in public relations in the future. Vallonio loves meeting people and telling them about the work she and Breann do for The Slate. Vallonio’s dream job is working at WebFX or Bravo, but she is also interested in nonprofit organizations.

Sheckells said The Slate allowed her to gain skills related to her public relations field. Public Relations meetings at The Slate helped her plan out agendas and prepare for the real world. Meanwhile, Sheckells used The Slate as an opportunity to prepare professional materials applying skills learned in her classes.

“InDesign is my best friend,” Sheckells said.

Vallonio said The Slate gave her an opportunity to combine and practice skills from print/online, electronic media and public relations in the communication/journalism department. One of the biggest changes Vallonio brought to The Slate is using Hootsuite, a program for scheduling social media

Michaela Vallonio’s dream job is working at WebFX or Bravo.

posts to promote The Slate. Before that, Vallonio needed to manually send posts at the specific time.

Sheckells, who is the daughter of Scott and Janene Sheckells, has one sister, Colleen, who attends Savannah College of Art & Design.

Vallonio, who is the daughter of Michael and Colleen Vallonio, has one sister, Madison, who is a freshman at SU. Meanwhile, her older brother Brandon graduated from Purdue University in winter 2019 and her youngest sibling, Jackson, is still in high school.

Looking for guidance in your life? Here are your horoscopes for March. Let us know if we got it right on social media @shipUSlate .

Aries The person you are thinking about is not who they seem. It might be hard, but it is time to stop fantasizing about an unattainable crush and focus on loving yourself. Create new goals and study with friends to make yourself busy.

Taurus Be careful of fake friends this month! They will mask themselves as your biggest supporters only to block your blessings. Keep a close eye on those who doubt and ridicule you.

Gemini You have not been seeing eye-to-eye with others. Make sure to calm down and re-think the situation you are in. You do not need resentment and jealousy affecting your mood this month.

Cancer Avoid drama this month. While there might be some truth to the gossip, the story might be spiraling out of control. Feelings will get hurt, including yours, if you do not steer clear from the mess.

Leo Do not be afraid of taking on a bigger role at work. Hesitating to accept a challenge will stall your progress. Trust your abilities and your intelligence. Your courage will inspire others at work and your boss will respect you.

Virgo You are ready for a change this month. You will not be satisfied until you find a new activity or job that suits your personality. Your confidence will boost during this month, make sure to use it to your advantage.

Libra Socializingand meeting new people is the key to success. This month your bubbly, flirty attitude will help you become a social butterfly. Be prepared to do a lot of talking and dating.

Scorpio You are unsatisfied with your love life and this month it will not get any better. It is time to take a break from relationships and focus on other important things in life. It will be tough; but keep a positive attitude. You might attract someone new.

Sagittarius Payattention to your dreams this month. Some of them might come true because luck is on your side. Also pay attention to the person who has been giving romantic signs. Who knows, they might be the one.

Capricorn One of your closest friends is upsetting you and you cannot help but roll your eyes to everything they say. You need to have a heart-to-heart conversation with the person before it escalates.

Aquarius You have been spending your time in the library studying and doing homework, maybe too much time. Academics are important but so is your mental health. Take some time to prioritize yourself and relax with friends.

Pisces Not all opportunities will come to you but have no fear, wealth is coming your way very soon. Keep up the hard work and you will be rewarded.

Recipe of the Week: Vegan Taco Pasta

Ingredients

16 ounces gluten-free pasta 2 tbsp olive oil 1 cup of halved grape tomatoes 1 bag of sweet mini- peppers diced 1 jalapeno diced 1 packet taco seasoning 16 ounces vegan ground beef 1/2 cup vegan chunky salsa 1 cup water

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add tomatoes, bell peppers and jalapeño to the pan and sauté for eight minutes until veggies softened.

3. Push the veggies to one side of the pan and add the vegan ground beef. Crumble with a wooden spoon and cook for an additional three minutes. Combine the veggies and beef and add taco seasoning.

4. Stir for four minutes then add salsa. Add cooked pasta to the pan and toss until coated evenly.

5. Serve with optional toppings of cilantro and lime wedges.

English professor releases book of poetry discussing women’s issues in Pa

What struggles do queer women face in south-central Pennsylvania? Nicole Santalucia, an English professor at Shippensburg University, informs the world about these struggles in her novel “The Book of Dirt.”

“The Book of Dirt,” which Santalucia released Feb. 20, discusses homosexuality, oppression, addiction and more in a series of poems and short stories, according to Santalucia.

“In this collection, lesbians crawl out of the grave that America has been digging since its inception; these are poems of resistance, celebrating marriage, sobriety, and survival,” Santalucia said.

Santalucia’s experience living in south-central Pennsylvania influenced her writing for the book.

“There’s a lack of protections for the LGBTQ+ community,” Santalucia said. The poems introduce the lives of women and what their experiences on surviving addiction, prison, women-hating and homophobia in Pennsylvania.

The novel also covers subjects like queer and lesbian identities, misogyny and objectification of women in Pennsylvania.

“There’s a sense of urgen

cy in our society and it’s my responsibility as a poet to respond,” Santalucia said. “There was no way I could not be in conversation, through poetry, with these issues.”

According to Santalucia, the title of the book is both a literal and a metaphorical interpretation of the issues it discusses.

“It stands for and responds to the small-town American landscape where gun violence, homophobia, misogyny and addiction permeate the lives of so many,” Santalucia said.

The poems in the book represent reprieve and survival. They also meditate on the dirt from the earth and the filth that runs deep through many aspects of American society.

Readers can find the book at nyq.org. Santalucia will hold an open-reading March 26 at the Midtown Scholar bookstore in Harrisburg. Ryan Cleary/The Slate Nicole Santalucia, English professor at SU, released her new book “The Book Of Dirt” to the public on Feb 20.

Award-winning poet comes to SU to speak for H.O.P.E. scholarship

Shippensburg University welcomed award-winning poet, Nikki Giovanni, Feb. 27 in H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center in honor of Black History Month.

SU President Laurie Carter introduced Giovanni to the audience. Giovanni visited the university in conjunction with the 35th H.O.P.E. Diversity Scholarship Dinner and Program.

Giovanni opened her lecture by telling the audience the importance of her hooded white jacket. She said she wore the hoodie in honor of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old Florida boy who was shot by police.

“Maybe we can convince cops to stop shooting us in the back,” Giovanni said.

“What makes white people so afraid of people of color?” Giovanni asked. “Race is a dumb idea,” she added.

Giovanni wrote “Reflections on April 4, 1968” in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.’s death. The poem details what happened the day of King’s death and black Americans’ response.

Giovanni also emphasized the importance of voting.

“It doesn’t matter to me who you vote for, just vote,” Giovanni said. “I believe if you’re old enough to get your license, you are old enough to vote.”

Giovanni read her second poem, “2020,” to the audience.

“They agreed that all men and women were created equal, folks vote to make us free.” Giovanni said.

She finished the poem by telling the audience that everybody has a voice and it is important to use it.

Giovanni shared her life experiences and opinions, from battling breast cancer to her opinions on United States President Donald Trump.

“I might not change the world, but the world won’t change me,” Giovanni said.

Giovanni talked about her childhood growing up in Knoxville, Tennessee. Her mother and father were not in a happy marriage. Giovanni recalls that at night she would hear Zoey Lomison/The Slate Nikki Giovanni tells the audience about her childhood, growing up in Knoxville, Tennessee.

her father argue and hit her mother.

She emphasized her perspective that daughters were important and shared her favorite poem, “I Married my Mother.” Giovanni wrote the poem after her father was in the hospital after he had a stroke.

In his final days, Giovanni’s father lived in her house with her mother, where she demanded he treat her with respect.

“Momma, you should’ve married me,” she recalled telling her mother.

The H.O.P.E. Diversity Scholarship was established in March 1983. It gives academically talented and financially deserving students the opportunity to receive an education at SU. H.O.P.E. sponsors 27 scholar students for the 2019-2020 school year: Alvina Belcher, Elizabeth Carrillo, Jordan Cook, Sarah Diaz Perez, Emily Franklin, Latia Geiger, Aunbrielle Green, Brittney Horton, Manisha Kapoor, Ashleigh Kennedy, Courtney King, Alycia LaLuz, Adeline Linzau, Alfonso Lopez Martinez, Hunter Milliner, Suphawat Nambuppha, Jaida O’Neal-Sloane, Deanna Peebles, Megan Puig, Amelia Rhoads, Natalie Rodriguez, Brendan Rosenberger, Bryan Rottkamp, Brayden Smiley, Maria Snodgrass, Taylen Torres and Stephen Washington.

Billboard Top 10

1. The Box - Roddy Ricch 6. Roxanne - Arizona Zervas

2. Life Is Good - Future feat. Drake

3. Circles - Post Malone

4. Dance Monkey - Tones And I

5. Don’t Start Now - Dua Lipa 7. Memories - Maroon 5

8. Someone You Loved - Lewis Capaldi

9. Intentions - Justin Bieber feat. Quavo

10. Blinding Lights -The Weekend

Movie Showtimes Showtimes for Tuesday and Wednesday, March 3 and 4 at AMC Classic 7 in Chambersburg

Wrestling finishes ninth at SR1 Championships Carmine Scicchitano/The Slate DeAndre Reed finishes third at 149 pounds in the Super Region 1 Championships on Saturday. His performance qualified him for the NCAA Division II National Championships. SU has had a Division II National Championship qualifier for 18 consecutive years.

Redshirt junior DeAndre Reed finishes third at Super Region 1 Championships, qualifies for the NCAA Division II National Championships

The Shippensburg University wrestling team finished ninth at the 2020 Super Region 1 Championships on Saturday, with redshirt junior DeAndre Reed placing third at 149 pounds, qualifying him for the NCAA Division II National Championships.

Along with Reed, Shippensburg had four other place-winners. Sophomore Colton Babcock placed fifth at 174 pounds, sophomore Matt Milbrand finished sixth at 141 pounds, redshirt junior Alexi Castro took sixth at 197 and senior Derek Berberick placed sixth as well, at 285 pounds.

Reed overcame many obstacles to get himself to the NCAA National Championships. He went through wrestlebacks and ultimately defeated a wrestler who had beaten him earlier in the day and twice over the course of the season entering the third-place match.

Reed’s afternoon started with a loss to American International’s Joel Morth, who took Reed down in a 3-1 decision, placing Reed in wrestlebacks. He also previously beat Reed on Feb. 8 with a 4-3 decision.

Reed would fight back by posting a 6-2 decision over Millersville’s Elijah Tuckey, followed by an 8-3 decision over Seton Hill’s Austin Shaw.

The two wins set up a third match with Morth, where Reed became the victor with a 3-1 decision, sending Reed to his first-career trip to the national championships. Reed won the match with a key takedown with 15 seconds left in regulation.

Babcock began his day with a loss, a 4-1 decision, to Seton Hill’s Brandon Matthews. In his next match, Babcock regrouped and pinned Kutztown’s Anthony Emig in 3:53. His third match ended in defeat to Gannon’s Luigi Yates, a 12-9 decision, but Babcock held his own the whole way through.

To round out his day, Babcock would dominate in his fifth-place match, defeating Mercyhurst’s Kevin Holman with a 17-7 major decision. Babcock pinned Holman earlier in the season and finishes his sophomore campaign with a 12-13 record.

Milbrand gained two victories in wrestlebacks, including a 40-second pin on American International’s Raul Mateo. Milbrand would then be defeated twice by Gannon’s Nick Young and completes his season with a 10-13 record.

Castro finished his 11-8 season on a high note, by winning his wrestle-back match over East Stroudsburg’s Sczar Charles, earning sixth place in his respective weight class.

Berberick started his day with a nail-biting 5-2 tiebreaker win over Seton Hill’s Jake Beistel. He then gave it his all against Mercyhurst’s Jake Robb, but never gained the upper hand and lost a 2-0 decision. Robb sealed his victory with a riding-time point and a third-period escape. Berberick then fell to Pitt-Johnstown’s Allan Beattie and Millersville’s Josh Walls.

Berberick completes his senior season with an impressive 13-9 record, and caps off an outstanding fouryear career with the Raiders, in which he finishes with a 56-46 record which includes 17 pins and seven major decisions. He also boasts a trip to the 2019 national championships.

Head coach Seth Bloomquist completed his 11th season as head coach and his 16th overall with the Raiders. He extended his school-record streak to 16 consecutive years with Reed’s bid to the national championships. Not one year has gone by without SU having a national qualifier since Bloomquist has been associated with the team.

Reed will represent the Raiders at the 2020 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships on March 13-14 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

RAIDER OF THE WEEK

Name: Drew Dailey

Sport: Indoor Track & Field

Major: Business Administration

Class: Freshman

Hometown: Phoenix, Maryland

Dailey was awarded the 2020 PSAC Indoor Track & Field Championships Most Valuable Athlete.

He won the PSAC title in both the mile (4:21.10) and the 800 meter (1:55.37). He also anchored the 4x800 meter relay to a PSAC title.

Image courtesy of Bill Smith/SU Sports Info. The men’s basketball team honors its group of seniors with plaques on senior night at Heiges Field House. The Raiders defeated Shepherd University 66-59 behind major defensive contributions from Lamar Talley. Standing with the plaques, from left to right, are Talley, Daylon Carter, John Castello and Derek Ford.

Men’s basketball honors senior class with 66-59 win over Shepherd

The Shippensburg University men’s basketball team held its final regular season home game at Heiges Field House on senior night Wednesday evening and honored their four seniors with a 66-59 win over Shepherd University.

Seniors Lamar Talley, Derek Ford, Daylon Carter and John Castello received a plaque and took a photo with their families before the game, and all four players started the game along with junior Jake Biss. This year’s group of seniors compiled the most wins for any single group of players in Shippensburg school history.

The Raiders (22-6, 18-4 PSAC) relied on their defense in the win as they held their opponent under 60 points for the fifth time this season. Shepherd only made four 3-pointers in the loss, even though they came in as the conference leaders in that category.

Shepherd’s Thomas Lang came into the game leading the nation in 3-pointers with 104, but he was held scoreless by Talley and the Shippensburg defense.

“I take pride in my defense as far as me stopping the guy I got to stop and helping my team in the best way possible,” Talley said. “Tonight was about getting [Lang] out of the game, not letting him score and making it tough on him, and that’s what I did.” Shippensburg overcame a tough shooting night as they shot 36% from the field and just 33% from beyond the 3-point line. Sophomore Luke Nedrow led the way for the Raiders offensively, posting 16 points and six rebounds.

Biss scored 12 points on just 4-of-13 shooting, while Talley scored 11 points along with five rebounds and three assists.

SU head coach Chris Fite spoke about the team’s group of seniors after the game.

“All of our seniors have been tremendous and I’m really happy for them to get this win on senior night to get us back on track,” Fite said. “I’m hoping we have a lot more games together but I appreciate those guys.”

The Raiders moved on to Kutztown, where they ended the regular season with a 76-57 road win on Saturday afternoon.

Sophomore Carlos Carter matched his career high with 22 points and Castello added in a double-double, scoring 18 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. Nedrow nearly achieved his first career double-double, finishing with 17 points and nine rebounds.

Shippensburg’s defense held yet another opponent to under 60 points and Kutztown only had one player score in double figures.

The Raiders will finish the season 18-4 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and as the PSAC Eastern Division champions. They will host the winner of the PSAC Men’s Basketball Championship tournament first round matchup between Millersville University and Shepherd University on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Heiges Field House.

Photos courtesy of Bill Smith/SU Sports Info. Aunbrielle Green attacks the rim against Shepherd. Green scored six points, pulled down 12 rebounds and recorded two blocks in the victory.

Women’s hoops wins PSAC East Division

The Shippensburg University women’s basketball team defeated Shepherd University 69-59 in a defensive battle last Wednesday at Heiges Field House.

The matchup could prove to be a preview of what is to come for the Raiders, who will face the winner of Shepherd and Lock Haven universities in the quarterfinals of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) tournament on Wednesday night.

The Raiders (20-8, 17-5 PSAC) and Shepherd (20-8, 14-8 PSAC) came into the game as the top two scoring teams in the PSAC, but the action played out in a completely different manner. Defense took center stage as SU held Shepherd’s vaunted offense to less than 60 points, something that has only occurred three times this season.

SU head coach Kristy Trn expected the game to revolve around defense, especially after the team lost 78-71 to Shepherd previously this season.

“After we played them the first time and squandered the fourth quarter after having a 12-point lead at halftime, we watched our game on film and saw how many transition baskets we gave up and how little we communicated [on defense],” Trn said.

Shepherd shot the ball only 34.8% from the field and 19% from beyond the arc. The Raiders forced 22 turnovers due to a smothering defensive effort. SU also blocked 10 shots, the most in a game in more than 18 years.

While the Raiders did not shoot the ball well either, they held a major advantage at the free-throw line which helped them win the game. The team shot 27-of-35 from the line, led by junior Ariel Jones going 14-of-16.

The Raiders held a 43-40 lead heading into the fourth quarter, where their advantage at the free-throw line came into effect. SU outscored Shepherd 26-19 in the final quarter of action, heavily supported by making 15-of-17 attempts from the free-throw line.

“It seems at the end of the game, when they realize something is on the line, their competitiveness just kicks in,” Trn said. “That’s crucial and it’s what we always talk about — winning teams are going to hit those free throws when they have to.” The Raiders lead NCAA Division II women’s basketball in free throws made (491). The team’s ability to both get to the line and then convert on those attempts will prove to be an important asset heading into the PSAC tournament.

Shippensburg clinched the PSAC Eastern Division title and secured a 20-win season with the win over Shepherd. It marked the first time the team has achieved each feat since the 2016-17 season.

Shippensburg was unable to maintain momentum heading into the PSAC tournament, dropping a road contest, 70-62, to Kutztown University on Saturday afternoon. Junior Destiny Jefferson led the team in points with 22.

The Raiders’ offense struggled to get anything going on Saturday, shooting just 30.2% from the field and making only one of their 18 attempts from 3-point range. Looking Ahead

The Raiders hold a first-round bye in this week’s PSAC tournament and are situated to face the winner of the firstround matchup between Shepherd and Lock Haven. The last couple of weeks have featured a plethora of playoff previews for Shippensburg. The team defeated Lock Haven 72-64 on Feb. 15 and, most recently, Shepherd 69-59 on Feb. 26.

Shepherd presents a tough matchup for SU. The two teams split their head-to-head contests this season, and Shepherd has a trio of players averaging more than 17 points per game. Freshman Abby Beeman leads the team with 20.0 points per contest, and she offers a well-balanced scoring attack (46.7% from the field, 35.3% from 3-point range and 75.8% from the free-throw line).

The Raiders defeated Lock Haven both times they faced off this season. LHU’s leading scorer is freshman Marena Londardi, who is averaging 13.1 points per game.

One of the things which makes the Bald Eagles dangerous is their defense. They rank sixth in the PSAC in points allowed per game (63.1).

Shippensburg has earned a bye in the first round of the PSAC tournament and will surely be watching the action on Monday night to see what matchup awaits. Kryshell Gordy nearly achieved a double-double in the win over Shepherd, posting nine points and 10 rebounds. Gordy also tallied three blocks and stole the ball twice in a game-high 38 minutes of action.

Softball wins three of four at Glenville State tourney

Courtesy of SU Sports Info.

The Shippensburg University softball team posted a pair of run-rule victories Saturday at Glenville State, defeating Alderson Broaddus 10-2 in six innings before also winning 10-2 in six innings over the host Pioneers on a seriously cold and windy afternoon in West Virginia. Shippensburg (7-3) totaled 23 hits over the two games, recording seven extra-base hits and drawing 14 walks while striking out just three times. The Raiders batted .418 as a team and committed just one error.

Sophomore Tressa Kagarise earned a complete-game victory in the circle in Game 1, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out seven over six innings. Freshman Hannah Palinkas got the Game 2 start, allowing one run in 2.2 innings, with junior Courtney Coy going 3.1 innings and striking out five to earn a win

in relief.

At the plate, Coy reached base in six of her nine plate appearances, going 5-for-8 with a double, two RBIs and a walk. Sophomore Hannah Marsteller had four hits, including a home run and double, and totaled four RBIs and walked twice.

Senior Meghan Klee, freshman Alyssa Nehlen and sophomore Grace Palmieri all reached base five times. Klee was 3-for-5 with a double, triple and two walks. Nehlen had three singles, two walks, a stolen base and scored four runs. Palmieri had two hits, three walks and three RBIs. Sophomore Morgan Fetter also homered and finished with four RBIs.

The Raiders then split a pair of neutral-site games Sunday at Glenville State, dropping an 8-6 decision to Alderson Broaddus before defeating West Virginia State, 5-3.

Shippensburg yielded four runs with two outs in the

fifth inning against Alderson Broaddus and three runs in the sixth that proved insurmountable. The Raiders had 10 hits but left 13 runners on base against the Battlers.

Game 2 featured a complete-game victory in the circle from Kagarise, who struck out seven and allowed just two earned runs. Coy hit a mammoth two-run home run to highlight the Raider offensive effort against West Virginia State.

Overall on the day, Coy was 5-for-9 at the plate. Nehlen reached base five times, hitting a double and two singles and drawing two walks. Freshman Taylor Radziewicz hit a three-run double against Alderson Broaddus to highlight a three-hit day. Senior Kayla Bonawitz finished the two games with four total hits, including a double and a triple.

Shippensburg heads to Virginia State next weekend for four games over the course of two days.

Photos by Carmine Scicchitano/The Slate A group of players fight for the ball in front of the NYIT net in the loss on Saturday afternoon. The Raiders totaled 24 shots and six goals against NYIT.

Madi Jones brings the ball up the field in the loss to New York Institute of Technology (NYIT). She forced her first turnover of the season on Saturday.

Lacrosse wins nail-biter against No. 21 Seton Hill

The Shippensburg University lacrosse team completed an early-season upset Wednesday afternoon, beating No. 21 Seton Hill by a 10-9 score, in what was a nail-biter the whole way through.

Shippensburg (2-1) struggled defensively to begin the game and trailed the Griffins 7-2 with 10 minutes left in the first half. The Raiders then flipped the script and held Seton Hill (2-1) to only two goals over the remaining 40 minutes.

Sophomores Hannah Seifried and Gabby Savarino continued to be dominant offensively for SU as they each added hat tricks to their already impressive totals on the young season. Savarino scored the winning goal with 8:51 left in regulation.

Junior Alana Cardaci also contributed two goals for the Raiders, while junior Jena MacDonald and sophomore Hannah Raines each added one goal on the afternoon.

Shippensburg received a boost on the defensive side from freshman goalkeeper

Ally Weneta, as she recorded nine saves on the day, most of which came in the second half. She also tallied seven groundballs for the Raiders. Even though the Griffins posted a 15-6 edge in draw controls, SU took the upper hand in turnovers with 15, compared to Seton Hill’s 21. The win comes as a nice bounce-back for Shippensburg, as last year’s match against the Griffins ended in an 18-10 defeat. The Raiders also now boast a 2-0 record on the road to start the new season.

The momentum from Wednesday did not continue in Saturday’s game for SU, as they fell to No. 23 New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) 18-6, giving the Raiders their second loss at home this season.

Nothing seemed to go right for the Raiders Saturday as they looked out of sync on both the offensive and defensive sides of the field.

NYIT (2-0) kicked off the game with a quick 4-0 run, before SU’s Seifried and Savarino notched their only goals on the day, ending their three-game hat trick streaks. The Bears controlled the

remainder of the first half by going on a 5-0 run and giving themselves an 11-2 lead at halftime.

While the Shippensburg offense doubled its point total in the second half, it was still not enough. SU’s MacDonald scored the first goal for the Raiders with 25:39 remaining in regulation. Sophomore Sydney Costanza would then find the back of the net as well, notching her second goal on the young season.

Alana Cardaci also contributed two goals on the afternoon, giving her the team

high for the game.

NYIT’s Shannon Donovan was the major issue for the Raiders’ defense. She finished the day with seven goals, five of which came in the first half. Jaclyn Grzelaczyk also gave the Bears a boost on offense, totaling four goals.

The loss leaves the Raiders winless against NYIT over the past two years.

Shippensburg will look to continue its hot streak on the road next Friday when the Raiders travel to take on the Lock Haven Bald Eagles at 4 p.m.

Indoor T&F performs well at PSAC Championships

Photos courtesy of Bill Smith/SU Sports Info.

Gabriella Johnson qualifies for national championships

• This marks the second consecutive season that Johnson has qualified for the national championships. Men’s track-and-field wins its 10th consecutive 2020 PSAC Championship

• Drew Dailey was named the 2020 PSAC Indoor Championships Most Valuable Athlete. He won both the conference title in the mile (4:21.10) and in the 800 meters (1:55.37). • Aaron Arp Jr. was named the 2020 PSAC Indoor Championships Outstanding Track Athlete. He won the conference title in the 400 meters in a record-breaking 47.40 seconds. He also finished second in the 60-meter hurdles (8.22 seconds). • The team won eight events and totaled 171 points.

Women’s track-and-field uses eight scoring efforts to snag a fifth-place finish in the 2020 PSAC Championship

• Leah Graybill broke the school-record in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.67 seconds, earning a fourth-place finish in that event. She also earned an All-PSAC third-place finish in the 200 meters with a time of 24.96 seconds. • Rachel Bruno posted personal bests in both the 400 meters and the 200 meters. She earned an All-PSAC second-place finish in the 400 meters (57.93 seconds) while also finishing fourth in the 200 meters (25.26 seconds). It was her first career scoring performance in the indoor 400 meters. • Kate Matrisciano came within a fraction of an inch of first place in the shot put. She earned an All-PSAC second-place finish with a distance of 44 feet, 3 1/2 inches.

Photos by Carmine Scicchitano/The Slate Zack Zoller set the program record for most doubles in a game with four in Saturday’s Game 1 win over Le Moyne College. He drove in two runs as well.

Kyle Lysy threw six scoreless innings in the Raiders’ 9-0 Game 1 victory. Lysy has now thrown 13 consecutive shutout innings in his previous two starts.

Baseball drops two of three in home-opening series

The Shippensburg University baseball team went 1-2 in its opening home series Saturday and Sunday against Le Moyne College, taking a commanding win in Game 1 before falling in Games 2 and 3.

Shippensburg (5-8) got off to a hot start in Game 1 when the offense exploded for nine runs in a 9-0 victory. Four of those runs came in the first inning alone.

Graduate student Zack Zoller starred on offense, going 4-for-4 and setting the school record for most doubles in a game (four). He also added two RBIs to his impressive stat line.

Behind him, sophomore Justin Darden launched the only home run of the game, a two-run shot. Junior Ben Werkheiser notched a triple that also plated two more runs.

Pitching was also a key component to the Raiders’ Game 1 victory. Senior Kyle Lysy pitched six scoreless innings, scattered six hits and struck out six as well. Freshman Austin Labarre would then keep the Le Moyne offense quiet for the final inning, sealing a 9-0 victory for the Raiders.

Game 2 would have a different outcome for SU, as the bats woke up for Le Moyne (7- 4) and powered them to a 12-9 win over the Raiders. The Dolphins used dominant second and fourth innings to shatter the Raiders’ momentum.

Junior Scout Knotts was the bright spot for the Shippensburg offense, going 3-for-5 with three singles and three RBIs. Zoller kept a hot bat in Game 2, going 2-for-5 with a triple and two more RBIs. Werkheiser also knocked two more hits and plated one run.

Despite notching 16 hits and nine runs, it was still not enough support for the SU pitching staff.

It was a flip of the script for the Raiders’ pitching as they allowed a combined 12 runs on nine hits, while only striking out four batters.

Game 3 saw warmer weather but SU’s offense was colder and its pitching was shaky in a 10-5 defeat.

Le Moyne once again had momentum swinging in its favor early as it scored a combined eight runs in the second and third innings.

Senior Jacob Pollock had a solid day at the plate going 2-for-5 while driving in three runs, which counted for over half of the Raiders’ scoring output. Junior Chase Zurawski also notched two hits in four at-bats, plating one run. Werkheiser found himself on base three times; he had a double, a walk and was hit by a pitch.

Similar to Game 2, the Raiders’ pitching never found its groove.

Redshirt sophomore Kiernan Higgins struggled to find his control, as he allowed eight runs on eight hits and walked four in three innings of work. Redshirt sophomore Matt Ryan came in for relief as he pitched four innings, giving up two runs, while scattering three hits. He also notched four strikeouts.

The Raiders will look to get back on track next week as they travel to the University of Charleston, where they will play a four-game series that spans from Friday to Sunday.

THIS WEEK IN RAIDER SPORTS MEN’S BASKETBALL WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Wednesday: vs. TBD, 5:30 p.m. (PSAC Quarterfinals) Wednesday: vs. TBD, 7:30 p.m. (PSAC Quarterfinals) Saturday/ Sunday: TBD (Semifinals/ Finals) Saturday/ Sunday: TBD (Semifinals/ Finals)

BASEBALL

Friday-Sunday: at Charleston, 1/3 p.m.

SOFTBALL

Saturday: at Virginia State Tournament, 12/2 p.m. Sunday: at Virginia State Tournament, 10 a.m./2 p.m. Relax and let us do the driving. h

RAIDER REGIONAL TRANSIT

Students ride free on Raider Regional Transit! Just Show Your Student ID

CATCH THE BUS ON CAMPUS AND RIDE DOWNTOWN TO:

• Walmart • Turkey Hill • Episcopal Square • the Post Office • Madison Apartments • Shippensburg Cottages • GIANT • Aldi • the Library • Bard Townhomes • Creekside Apartments • Hot Point Commons

LACROSSE

Friday: at Lock Haven, 4 p.m.

...AND MORE!

Go even farther by connecting to the CAT buses traveling to downtown Harrisburg and the Amtrak Harrisburg Station.