Box Score
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Freshman
Allison Shade scored a goal with 16:43 remaining in regulation to give the Slippery Rock University field hockey team a 1-0 win over Mercyhurst Tuesday night at Thompson-Mihalik Stadium. Shade's goal also kept The Rock's postseason dreams alive.
The victory improved SRU's overall record to 4-11, but more importantly, pushed The Rock's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference-Western Division record to 3-4 and moved Slippery Rock in front of Mercyhurst (5-9, 3-5 PSAC-West) for third-place in the PSAC-West. With the top three teams in the PSAC-East and the PSAC-West qualifying for the conference tournament, Slippery Rock will enter its final three games of the season in control of its own fate.
Slippery Rock's triumph over Mercyhurst was just its second win over the Lakers in 17 games dating back to 1997.
Shade led the way for SRU Tuesday night with a career-high five shots, two of which were on goal. Freshman
Lindsay Brown had The Rock's other shot on goal. Senior
Erin Moran once again showed why she is a two-time All-PSAC performer, making three defensive saves to help preserve SRU's win. Freshman
Courtney Lee improved her record to 4-5 on the season after stopping five shots for her second shutout of the season.
Mercyhurst held a 7-3 edge in shots and a 4-2 advantage in penalty corners in the first half, but Moran and the rest of the Slippery Rock defense was able to hold off the attack and keep the game knotted at 0-0 going into halftime.
The score remained tied well into the second half until Shade took control of the ball off of a Rock corner and proceeded to dribble around several Laker defenders before beating Mercyhurst goalie Ashley Wiskup at 53:17 to give The Rock a 1-0 lead it would never relinquish. The score was Shade's second of the season.
The Lakers drew three more penalty corners after the goal, but were unsuccessful on all three opportunities as Slippery Rock snapped its four-game losing streak and jumped into the conference playoff picture.
Slippery Rock will travel to Greensburg, Pa. Saturday for a 1 p.m. PSAC-West contest against Seton Hill. SRU defeated Seton Hill 2-1 at home earlier in the year.
