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KUTZTOWN, Pa. – The 23rd-ranked Slippery Rock University women's soccer team scored goals in each half to defeat Alderson-Broaddus 2-0 in the opening round of the NCAA tournament Friday afternoon at Kutztown University's Keystone Field.
The Rock, which improved its season record to 15-4-2, will advance to the second round and will play Kutztown Sunday at 1 p.m.
Alderson-Broaddus, which was making its first appearance in the NCAA tournament, finishes the season with an overall record of 10-7-3.
Erin Storck and
Shelby Ward each scored goals and
Lucy Hannon and
Nicole Krueger each handed out assists to lead Slippery Rock to the win. Defensively, The Rock allowed just two shots in the game, including one on target, and
Lisa Rodgers recorded her 11th shutout of the season between the posts.
Slippery Rock finished the game with advantages of 6-2 in total shots and 4-1 in shots on goal, while the Battlers posted a 4-3 edge in corner kicks.
Kate Laird made two saves and allowed two goals in the loss for Alderson-Broaddus.
The Rock, playing without All-Conference players
Emer Flatley and
Kara Mullins, wasted little time in pushing the tempo to open the game. SRU controlled the pace of play from the outset and did not allow a single shot attempt in the opening half.
Storck scored the game's opening tally in the 21st minute when she took a crossing pass from Hannon in the middle of the box and beat Laird to the lower left corner of the net.
Minutes later,
Stephanie Buckenheimer fired a shot that hit the post and bounced out to keep the game at 1-0, a margin that would remain until the halftime break.
At the break, Slippery Rock owned a 5-0 advantage in shots.
Ward added an insurance tally in the 53rd minute when she took a long pass down the middle of the field from Krueger and split a pair of Battler defenders before beating Laird one-on-one for her fifth goal of the year.
After the second tally, Slippery Rock settled into a defensive set and preserved the shutout over the final 35 minutes.
The win marks the second consecutive opening round win for SRU over a team from the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Last season, The Rock defeated West Virginia Wesleyan in the opening round.
Slippery Rock will face Kutztown for the third time this season in the second round Sunday at 1 p.m. The Golden Bears defeated SRU 1-0 Sept. 24 in Kutztown and 4-0 in the PSAC semifinals last weekend at California (Pa.).
A complete game preview, including ticket information and live coverage options, will be posted at www.RockAthletics.com Saturday.
