CLICK HERE FOR WOMEN'S BROADCAST
CLICK HERE FOR MEN'S BROADCAST
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Saturday's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference regular season final matches for the Slippery Rock University men's and women's soccer teams will be available via a free live online video broadcast from Lock Haven University.
Kickoff for the SRU-LHU women's game is set for noon. Kickoff for the men's game will follow the women's game with a tentative scheduled start time of 2 p.m.
Saturday's games have significant implications for both The Rock men and women, not only in terms of the PSAC playoff picture, but also in both teams' quest to earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Women's Breakdown
The eight teams that will qualify for the women's conference tournament are already set heading into the final day of competition, but the seeding is still up for grabs. West Chester and California will claim the top two seeds, with Kutztown, Bloomsburg and The Rock battling for the 3-5 seeds. The top four seeds will host quarterfinal games next Tuesday.
Slippery Rock can move into position to host a quarterfinal with a win over Lock Haven and a Bloomsburg loss against East Stroudsburg or a Kutztown loss against Mansfield. East Stroudsburg dropped a 1-0 overtime decision to Kutztown Thursday night. That one goal was the only goal ESU has allowed in its last five games. In the other matchup of interest to SRU, Kutztown will be a clear favorite over a Mansfield team that is winless in conference play this season.
A loss or a tie for SRU Saturday will equal a fifth-place finish in the standings and will mean a road trip to either Kutztown or Bloomsburg for the quarterfinals.
Bloomsburg would win the tiebreak over Slippery Rock if the Huskies tie ESU Saturday and The Rock defeats LHU, based on Bloomsburg's 2-1 win over SRU earlier this season.
Men's Breakdown
The men's playoff picture is much more cloudy, as six teams remain alive for just four berths in the league playoffs.
Slippery Rock is the only team that controls its own destiny. With a win over Lock Haven, SRU would claim the conference regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, along with the right to host a semifinal match.
The Rock is currently tied with Millersville, East Stroudsburg and Shippensburg at the top of the standings with 5-3 records (15 points), but owns the tiebreak over all three of those teams with wins this season. Gannon and Mercyhurst are on the outside looking in with 12 points each.
Wins or ties by the top four teams Saturday would eliminate both Gannon and Mercyhurst, which play each other Sunday. A loss by any of the top four teams will keep the winner of the Gannon-Mercyhurst game in contention for a playoff berth.
If SRU loses and Mercyhurst wins, Slippery Rock would own the tiebreak between those two teams based on The Rock's 4-3 win over the Lakers, which would guarantee SRU a spot in the playoffs regardless of what Millersville, Shippensburg and ESU do in their games Saturday.
If SRU loses and Gannon wins, Gannon would own the tiebreak with its 1-0 double overtime win over The Rock. If that happens, Slippery Rock will need Millersville, Shippensburg, or East Stroudsburg to lose Saturday. A tie or a win by all three of those teams would eliminate SRU.
This weekend will surely be an exciting one for soccer in the PSAC. Check back to www.RockAthletics.com throughout the day Saturday for updates on the playoff picture for both The Rock men and women.
