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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The 17th-ranked Slippery Rock University women's soccer team opened the 2013 season with a thrilling 2-1 win over Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference rival California University (Pa.) Thursday at James Egli Field.

With the expansion of the PSAC to include 17 women's soccer teams this season, both Slippery Rock and California were forced to play a conference game on the opening day of Division II action.

The rematch of the 2012 PSAC championship game, which was won by Slippery Rock, saw both teams put together dominant stretches. The Rock looked like the better team in the opening 45 minutes Thursday, scoring a goal and holding the Vulcans without a shot on target.

California returned the favor for much of the second half, tying the game at 1-1 and holding Slippery Rock without a shot on goal until the 78th minute.

That shot would prove to be the only one The Rock would need in the second half as freshman Andrea Felix converted a perfect cross from classmate Sam Thornton to put SRU up 2-1 with just 12:36 to play. The defense held the Vulcans without a solid scoring opportunity the rest of the way to close out the win.

Felix was sensational in her collegiate debut, coming off the bench to assist the opening goal and tallying the game-winner. Thornton was impressive as well, most notably when she beat her defender down the left wing and swung in a long perfect cross to the foot of Felix for the winner.

All six Slippery Rock points in the game came from true freshman. The opening goal of the season came off the foot of Dara Demich, who corralled a rebound after a hard Felix shot and buried it into the left side of the net to give Slippery Rock a 1-0 lead in the 38th minute.

The Rock played a total of five true freshmen in the game, including starters Thornton, Marissa Scullin and Lynn Neef.

California finished the game with advantages of 11-8 in total shots, 4-3 in corner kicks and 6-5 in shots on goal. The Rock posted a 5-2 edge in shots, a 4-0 edge in shots on goal and a 2-0 advantage in corner kicks in the opening period.

Dana O'Neill earned the win in goal for Slippery Rock after recording five saves, all in the second half.

California, who has a returning All-PSAC goalkeeper in Ashley Magruda, went with a true freshman between the posts for the first time in more than a decade. Meghan Jayes took the loss in her first collegiate game after allowing two goals and recording three saves.

California's lone goal came in the 72nd minute when Haley Henderson scored through traffic with a perfectly placed shot to the lower left corner off an assist from Janelle McCann.

Less than six minutes later Slippery Rock regained the edge after the counter attack goal from Felix.

Thursday's game continued what has become one of the best rivalries in Division II soccer, as The Rock and the Vulcans have been on a postseason collision course for the last three years. California eliminated SRU from the NCAA Tournament in 2010 and 2011 before The Rock returned the favor last fall to defeat the Vulcans for the PSAC title and eliminated them from the NCAA Tournament a week later.

Slippery Rock will continue PSAC play Sept. 10 when it travels to Clarion for a 7 p.m. match. The Rock returns home Sept. 14 to host Indiana (Pa.) at Egli Field at 2 p.m.