EDINBORO, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University women's soccer team earned a 1-0 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference victory Wednesday night at Edinboro University.
 
The victory improves The Rock's record to 9-5-1 overall and 8-4-1 in PSAC play. Edinboro falls to 9-6 overall and 8-5 in league matches with the loss. The win moves The Rock into a tie for fourth place in the league standings with 25 points, just two points behind third place Kutztown (9-4-1, 9-4 PSAC), with three game left in the regular season.
 
The win is also certain to have implications on future regional rankings as the NCAA released its initial set of rankings Wednesday and Edinboro was slotted fifth in the Atlantic Region while SRU was placed ninth. The top six teams in the region at the end of the season will earn berths into the NCAA Tournament.
 
Leading The Rock to the win was sophomore midfielder Tess Keeley and freshman goalkeeper Charlotte Elrod. Keeley scored the game's only goal while Elrod stopped four shots to secure her sixth individual shutout of the season. Freshman forward Taylor Sweeney assisted on Keeley's goal.
 
Keeley has produced two goals and one assist over Slippery Rock's last four matches. SRU is 3-0-1 when Keeley scores a goal. Sweeney's assist was her second of the season.
 
Also adding shots on goal for SRU against the Fighting Scots were junior defenders Sam Thornton and Lynn Neef.
 
Wednesday night was just the latest in what has been a standout rookie season for Elrod, who now ranks second in the PSAC in shutouts, third in goals against average (0.727) and eighth in save percentage (.784). She has only allowed three goals in SRU's last five matches.
 
Following a first half in which the SRU defense withstood six Edinboro shots, The Rock's offensive attack increased the pressure on the Edinboro backline and eventually broke through in the 57th minute when Keeley beat EU goalkeeper Sarah Baskey from 25 yards out to put The Rock up 1-0.
 
Slippery Rock's stellar defense, which has surrendered just 11 goals all season, proceeded to shut Edinboro down following the goal as it did not allow another shot on goal for the final 33:31 of the game en route to the win.
 
SRU, which has not lost to Edinboro since 2009, is now 18-3-7 against the Fighting Scots all-time.
 
Wednesday's win was the start of a crucial four-match road trip to end the regular season for The Rock. Slippery Rock is now 24-12-5 (.638) in October away matches dating back to the 2005 season.
 
Slippery Rock will look to continue its strong finish to the regular season 1 p.m. Saturday at Lock Haven University.