SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Junior forward Dara Demich scored a goal with under three minutes left in the second overtime to lift the Slippery Rock University women's soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Shippensburg University in the first round of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament Tuesday afternoon at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
 
Slippery Rock will now play East Stroudsburg University 11 a.m. Friday in Erie, Pennsylvania on the campus of Gannon University in the PSAC Tournament semifinals. The Rock and the Warriors played to a 2-2 tie in the regular season.
 
The victory, SRU's fifth straight win, improved The Rock's record to 13-5-1 overall on the year. Shippensburg ends its season with an overall record of 11-7-1.
 
With time running down and the game seemingly headed to penalty kicks, Demich made a long dribble down to the Shippensburg goal to beat a Raider defender before sending a low shot past SU's sliding goalie to give The Rock the victory at 107:15.
 
Demich finished the game with a team-high five shots, three of which were on goal. The goal was her 12th of the season, a new career-high.
 
Sophomore defender Maddy Tletski and freshman forward Skye Kramer each added two shots on goal while senior midfielders Allison Harbart and Caitlin Binder chipped in one shot on goal apiece.
 
Freshman goalkeeper Charlotte Elrod made five saves to secure her eighth shutout of the season.

For the game, Slippery Rock held a 16-8 edge over the Raiders in total shots and a 7-1 edge in corner kicks.
 
Slippery Rock controlled possession throughout regulation, but Shippensburg's goalkeeper Leah Roy managed to stop all eight of The Rock's shots on goal. Conversely, Elrod and the rest of SRU's stellar defense ensured that The Rock's season would continue by constantly eliminating any of Shippensburg's limited offensive advantages.

 After a sluggish first half, Slippery Rock upped the intensity in the second half with 10 shots and five corner kicks, but Shippensburg withstood every attempt, including shots on goal by Kramer and Harbart in the final two minutes of regulation to force overtime.
 
Following a scoreless first overtime, Elrod stopped a Sharon Juarez shot in the 102nd minute to maintain the tie. Five minutes later Demich made her decisive run that led to the game-winning goal.
 
Slippery Rock will play in the semifinals of the PSAC Tournament for the third time since the 2011 season. SRU split the previous two trips to the semifinals, losing in 2011 and winning in 2012. The 2012 squad went on to win the league title.