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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University men's soccer team overcame a sluggish start to score seven goals in the final 50 minutes of play to defeat the University of Pitt-Johnstown 7-1 Saturday afternoon at James Egli Field in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference contest.
 
The seven goals scored were the most by a Slippery Rock team since The Rock defeated California (Pa.), 7-1 during the 1997 season.
 
The win, which was SRU's third straight, improves The Rock's record to 6-3-0 overall and 3-1-0 in league play. Pitt-Johnstown drops to 1-8-0 and 0-4-0 in PSAC games with the loss.
 
A reserve paced Slippery Rock's offense on the day with Mike Ilodigwe securing the first four-goal game of his career. Ilodigwe's four goals were the first of his SRU career; he previously scored four goals at Methodist in 2013.
 
Dom Francis and Matt Sangermano also added goals in the winning effort. Francis' goal was his fourth of the season, which is tied with Peter Boylan and Stephen Donnelly for a team-best. Sangermano also tallied an assist on the day.
 
Goalkeeper Steven Rerick picked up the win after stopping four shots in just over 76 minutes played. Logan Mears came on for Rerick in the game's final 14 minutes to record his first playing time at SRU.
 
Slippery Rock held decided advantages over Pitt-Johnstown in total shots (28-9), shots on goal (13-5) and corner kicks (7-3).
 
After 40 minutes of scoreless play, Slippery Rock drew a foul in the Pitt-Johnstown zone and was awarded a penalty kick which Francis took and beat Mountain Cat goalkeeper Nate Kleya for the opening score.
 
Less than two minutes later Boylan took a shot which was stopped by Kleya, but Ilodigwe was able to corral the loose ball and finish the play for his first score of the season to send Slippery Rock into halftime leading 2-0.
 
Ilodigwe wasted little time putting the game out of reach when he beat Kleya for his second goal of the game just 45 seconds into the second half.
 
SRU added four more scores over the final half starting with a rocket by Tobe Oraegbu from 25 yards out in the 60^th minute followed by Ilodigwe's third goal of the game off of Sangermano's assist in the 75^th minute.
 
Sangermano and Ilodigwe closed the day out with The Rock's sixth and seventh scores in the 80^th and 85^th minute, respectively. Sangermano's goal came off of a corner kick by Gabriel Hrecznyj.
 
The Mountain Cats' lone score came off of a Rock own goal at 64:25 in the second half. Jeremy Staffen had four shots in the losing effort for Pitt-Johnstown.
 
Slippery Rock returns to play Oct. 8 at 4 p.m. at Seton Hill University.