Boxscore
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. -- Visiting Mercyhurst handed The Rock a 2-1 setback Tuesday afternoon in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division action at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium and, in the process, took over first place in the division standings.
The win improved Mercyhurst's overall record to 9-4-3 and its PSAC-West mark to 7-2-3, the latter mark good for 24 points in the PSAC standings system that award three points for a division-game win and one point for a division-game tie.
Tuesday's loss snapped a four-game win streak for SRU and dropped the Green and White's overall record to 11-4-1 and its PSAC-West mark to 7-3-1, good for 22 points.
The Rock entered Tuesday's game tied with Gannon for the division lead and exited the game still tied with the Golden Knights, albeit for second place. Gannon also lost Tuesday; Edinboro won a 3-2 decision over the Golden Knights (9-5-1 overall, 7-3-1 PSAC-W).
Indiana (Pa.) is in fourth place in the division standings with 21 points after it lost a 2-0 decision to California (Pa.). Indiana owns an 11-6 overall record and is 7-4 in division play.
The top four teams in the division at the end of regular-season play will advance to the conference playoffs. The Rock seeks its sixth consecutive trip to the conference tournament.
The Rock hosts Gannon in a crucial PSAC-West contest at 2 p.m. Saturday before travelling to Lock Haven for an Oct. 29 game and then hosting California in the regular-season finale at 1 p.m. Nov. 1.
In Tuesday's match, Mercyhurst scored the first two goals and then held off a Rock rally to record the win.
Lakers standout Sarah Powell recorded her 15th goal of the season, off an assist from Jamie Schroter, in the 51st minute of action to put Mercyhurst on top by a 1-0 score.
Schroter then scored what proved to be the game-winning goal, an unassisted tally on a long direct kick, in the 72nd minute.
Rock sophomore standout
Alison Hindley (pictured above) followed with The Rock's only goal of the game, off an assist from sophomore
Whitney Warmus in the 79th minute, to trim the margin to 2-1, but that proved to be the extent of the hosts' comeback effort.
The goal was Hindley's team-best 14th of the season, while Warmus collected her first assist.
Mercyhurst outshot The Rock by a 17-7 margin, including an 8-5 difference in shots on goal, and forced Rock senior goalie
Sarah Lacy to make six saves. Lakers netminder Rebecca Heintzman had four saves.
