SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University lacrosse team concluded the home portion of its 2016 schedule with an 11-7 victory against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference foe Shippensburg University Saturday afternoon at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
 
The victory improves The Rock's record to 9-7 on the season overall and 5-6 in league play. The win also ensures SRU of its second consecutive winning season and its fourth winning campaign since the program was reinstated in 2007. Despite the win Slippery Rock was eliminated from PSAC Tournament contention due to Millersville's win at Gannon.
 
Prior to the game the Slippery Rock senior class of Kaytlin Callaghan, Anna-Marie Warrington, Erin Wilcox, Jessica Johnson, Kristen McGrath, Taylor Balbierz and Jordan Wagner were recognized for their contributions to the program over the last four years.
 
In their final home game, the senior class greatly contributed to win. Callaghan had one goal and three assists. Warrington scored one goal. Wilcox scored twice, assisted on another goal, scooped up seven groundballs and caused two turnovers. Johnson scored her first goal of the season. Wagner stopped six shots and Balbierz came off the bench to make three saves of her own.
 
Other top contributors for Slippery Rock included Tia Torchia, Chynna Chan, Morgan McLaughlin, Jasey Sanders and Caitlynn Palladino. Torchia scored a team-high three goals while also forcing three turnovers. Chan had four groundballs, two draw controls and two caused turnovers. McLuaghlin pulled in four groundballs. Sanders had a goal and four groundballs and Palladino chipped in a pair of goals as well.
 
As a team, Slippery Rock was 19-for-23 in clear attempts while holding the Raiders to just 15 successful clears in 26 attempts. SRU also forced Shippensburg into 27 turnovers. The 27 miscues were the most forced by The Rock this season.
 
Palladino and Warrington both scored goals for The Rock in the opening eight minutes of play to give Slippery Rock a lead it would never relinquish.  
 
Following a T.J. Johnson goal for Shippensburg at 21:46, SRU rattled off three consecutive goals; the first coming from Wilcox's with 16:03 remaining in the period followed by two goals by Torchia at 15:00 and 7:49, respectively, that gave SRU a commanding 5-1 advantage. Callaghan assisted on both of Torchia's goals.
 
Allison Fugate ended the first half by scoring her first goal of the game with 49 seconds left to cut Shippensburg's deficit to 5-2 heading into the break.
 
However, any thoughts of a Raiders comeback were quickly put to rest by Slippery Rock in the second half as SRU posted five of the second period's first seven goals to extend its lead to 10-4 with 7:30 remaining in regulation.
 
Shippensburg would score three goals with less than three minutes to play to make it a 10-7 affair before Torchia put the exclamation point on the contest for The Rock with her third goal of the day with just seven seconds showing on the clock en route to the four-goal victory.
 
Torchia's hat trick matched a season-high in goals for the sophomore.
 
Sarah McLeod scored two goals and Ally Frymoyer stopped 13 shots to lead Shippensburg.
 
Slippery Rock will close out its 2016 season on the road 4 p.m. April 26 at Seton Hill.