SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's soccer team combined great defense and timely scoring from one its best players to earn a 1-1 tie against No. 3 East Stroudsburg University Saturday afternoon at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
 
The tie extends The Rock's unbeaten streak to six games and its record to 7-4-1 overall and 7-2-1 in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference play. The Warriors, which were ranked third in the nation in the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America's top 25 poll, move to 10-1-1 overall and 10-0-1 in league play.
 
Saturday's tie was Slippery Rock's second against a top-five team in the last six years; SRU also tied No. 4 West Chester, 2-2, during the 2010 season.
 
SRU was led on the day by senior forward Dara Demich, who scored a goal on a header off of a perfectly placed pass by Sam Thornton in the eighth minute. The goal was Demich's third in as many games. Thornton's assist was her second of the year.
 
Demich, Thornton, Maddy Tletski, Andrea Felix and Maddy Smith all recorded shots on goal as well.
 
Slippery Rock's defense was exceptional all day as it continually stymied ESU, which entered the match ranked seventh in the league in goals scored. Goalkeeper Kylie Downs stopped six shots while the rest of The Rock's backline defended the Warriors' lone corner of the day while also clearing virtually anything that was played into its scoring zone all game.
 
The Rock struck first when Thornton placed a ball from 25 yards out to right of the zone and into Demich, who proceeded to beat Warrior goalkeeper Jules Harris for a goal at 7:37. The score was Demich's 29th career goal and 66th career point, the fifth most in SRU history.
 
Slippery Rock went on to tally two more shots over the first period, wide attempts by Felix and Brooke Testa, while limiting ESU to just two shots as well, both of which were off target, in the closing moments of the first half to take a 1-0 lead into the break.
 
SRU maintained its one-goal edge for the majority of the second half, but ESU eventually broke through in the 84th minute when Shae Neal beat Downs from five yards out on an assist from Molly Vicari to tie the game at 1-1. Each team produced one more shot in regulation, but Tess Keeley's header went wide and Downs stopped another Neal bid to send the contest into overtime.
 
Following a scoreless first overtime, Slippery Rock nearly scored the game-winner twice in the second extra-time period; however a Thornton shot at 109:37 sailed wide and ESU barely managed to clear a Rock corner with seven seconds remaining to escape with the tie.
 
Saturday also marked The Rock's first overtime game of the season.
 
SRU has now gone 11 consecutive games without allowing more than one goal; the last team to score more than once against The Rock was Notre Dame College in the season-opener. The school record for consecutive games of holding opponents to one goal or less is 17 (set in 2011).
 
Slippery Rock continues league play 7 p.m. Tuesday at Clarion University.