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Stephen Donnelly

Men's Soccer

Donnelly, Zier lead No. 17 Rock by Cal U, 2-0

Stephen Donnelly scored two goals and Chris Zier made eight saves to post his third shutout as No. 17 Slippery Rock handed California (Pa.) a 2-0 defeat in PSAC action Monday night.

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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The 17th-ranked Slippery Rock University men's soccer team got a pair of goals from Stephen Donnelly and an outstanding effort from goalkeeper Chris Zier to earn a 2-0 win over California (Pa.) Monday night in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference match at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.

The win runs The Rock's current streak to four consecutive games and improves the team's records to 7-1-1 overall and 2-1-0 in PSAC games. Slippery Rock is now unbeaten in 25 of its last 30 games dating back to the beginning of the 2012 season.

California suffered its first PSAC loss to drop to 4-5-1 overall and 1-1-1 in league action.

Both of Donnelly's finishes were near perfect and came off flawless setups, with Peter Boylan and Thad Madzelonka combining for a double assist on the opening goal and Joshua Gray picking up his team-leading fifth assist on the second.

Zier was outstanding in his fourth straight start, recording eight saves and picking up his third shutout. In the process he lowered his season goals against average to 0.46 and raised his save percentage to .913.

Zier was tested twice in the opening half when the game was still scoreless and he was up to the challenge, stopping Cal's leading scorer Jeffrey Kyei on both occasions, including once on a solo breakaway.

Zier's counterpart, Mitch Mack, finished the game with five saves in the losing effort.

California finished the game with advantages of 16-15 in total shots and 8-7 in shots on goal. Both teams were awarded three corner kicks.

Donnelly opened the game's scoring in the 31st minute when he drilled a shot out of mid-air into the upper right corner of the net after Peter Boylan's cross was headed by Madzelonka in the box.

The 1-0 lead stood at halftime thanks to a diving save by Zier late in the half.

The Rock wasted little time in adding an insurance tally in the second half when Donnelly fired a perfectly placed shot from 20 yards out off a corner kick from Gray in the 49th minute that found the upper left corner of the twine.

Slippery Rock threatened again when Nick Kutcher's shot in the 66th minute looked like a sure goal into an empty net, but Cal defender Tyler McCarthy made the save to keep it 2-0.

Gray also had a great look at finding a third goal for Slippery Rock in the 81st minute, but his hard curving shot was snared by a diving Mack to keep it 2-0.

California finally broke through with a good scoring chance in the 88th minute, but Cory Kuzilla's low shot was grabbed by a diving Zier to preserve the shutout.

Slippery Rock is now outscoring opponents 21-5 through nine games, a credit to the goalkeeping of Zier and Joe Agerskow, along with the defense of Gray, Kutcher, Ryan Boylan, Josh Brake and Declan Brennan.

Slippery Rock, which could find itself moving higher in the national rankings that will be released Tuesday, will play its next three games on the road. The Rock visits Bloomsburg Friday for a 5:30 p.m. game and will play at Lock Haven Saturday in a 7:30 p.m. match. to cap a weekend PSAC doubleheader.








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