SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's soccer team defeated Seton Hill University, 1-0, Tuesday afternoon in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference contest at James Egli Field.
 
The victory improves The Rock's record to 10-6-1 on the year overall and 10-4-1 in league play. The win also keeps SRU's hopes of hosting an opening round game in the 2016 PSAC Tournament alive. Seton Hill drops to 7-7-2 overall and 6-7-2 in conference games with the loss. The defeat also knocks the Griffins out of tournament contention.
 
Slippery Rock controlled Tuesday's game from start to finish, dominating possession for much of the contest and ending the game with convincing advantages in both total shots (17-8) and shots on goal (8-2).
 
Skye Kramer scored The Rock's lone goal on an assist from Dara Demich. The score was Kramer's first goal of the season. Demich's assist was her fourth of the year overall and her second in as many games. Demich now has five goals and three assists in SRU's last eight games.
 
Demich finished the game with six shots while the quintet of Kramer, Maddy Tletski, Andrea Felix, Tess Keeley and Lynn Neef all had two shots apiece. Maddy Smith added one shot as well.
 
Goalkeeper Kylie Downs recorded her fifth shutout of the season in the win. Downs now enters Saturday's regular-season finale at 9-4-1 on the year with 63 saves, a .829 save percentage and a 0.88 goals against average.
 
SRU nearly got its first goal of the day on several occasions early on as Demich, Neef and Keeley all tallied shots on goal through the opening four minutes of play, but all three attempts were saved by SHU goalkeeper Jessica Neill. Slippery Rock continued to attack the Seton Hill defense over the remainder of the first half with six more shots and two corner kick opportunities, but the Griffin defense managed to rebuke each attempt.
 
Conversely, Slippery Rock kept Seton Hill's offensive attack in check for nearly the entirety of the opening half as SHU did not register its first shot on goal until the 43rd minute on an attempt that was easily stopped by Downs to send the game into halftime scoreless.
 
Slippery Rock wasted little time in the second half. Following a Seton Hill foul, Demich took a free kick that was blocked only to be deflected in by Kramer for the game's first goal just 1:12 into the second half.
 
Seton Hill did a better job of pressuring Slippery Rock in the second half with three corners and five shots, but SRU's backline was able to defend and clear each attempt en route to the shutout-victory.
 
After losing consecutive games to Edinboro and West Chester, Slippery Rock has responded nicely with back-to-back wins at home as the season winds to close.
 
Slippery Rock will conclude its regular season 4 p.m. Saturday when it hosts No. 14 Kutztown University at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium on Senior Day. The match will be SRU's fourth this year against a team ranked in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's top 25 poll.