CANTON, Ohio – The Slippery Rock University men's soccer team dropped a 1-0 non-conference decision on the road to Malone University Thursday evening in its first game of the 2016 season.
 
George Oakley led Slippery Rock (0-1) on the day with three shots on goal. Mike Pcholinsky and Nick Sodini each added shots on goal as well in the loss. Goalkeeper Jonathan Sharp played all 90 minutes for The Rock, stopping a career-high six shots to go with the one goal allowed.
 
Slippery Rock were the aggressors early on as Pcholinsky put a shot on goal in the second minute and SRU drew three corners over the opening 10:55 of the first half. However, Malone (1-0) goalie Cody Hilty was able to stop Pcholinsky's attempt and the Pioneer defense successfully cleared all three corner attempts to thwart SRU's attack.
 
Sharp went on to stop a pair of Malone shots in the 14th and 22nd minutes while The Rock's offensive attack countered with shots from Adolfo Segura and Oakley, but neither attempt could find the back of the net and the game headed into halftime a scoreless tie.
 
Malone netted the game's lone goal early in the second period when Gino Finelli converted a pass from the left of the box by Christian Kallenberger at 52:18.
 
Sharp regrouped after the score and made two more saves to keep it a one-score game, but Slippery Rock was unable to find the equalizer as a header from Anthony Werth sailed wide and two more shots by Oakley, one of which came with 63 seconds remaining in regulation, were stopped by Hilty as Malone hung on for the win.
 
For the game, Malone held edges in both shots on goal (7-5) and corner kicks (6-4).
 
Slippery Rock will look to get on track and even its record when it hosts Lake Erie College 2 p.m. Sunday at James Egli Field.