SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University field hockey team closed out its two-game homestand Saturday afternoon with a 5-2 victory over Bellarmine University at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
 
The win improved SRU's record to 3-3 for the year, while Bellarmine dropped to 3-2. The win for SRU snaps a two-game losing streak as well as a two-game losing streak at home against Bellarmine.
 
SRU found itself down early but was able to head into the break tied 2-2. The Rock then scored three unanswered goals in the second period for the win. Sophomore Hannah Downing and senior Renee Rosenblum collected two goals each, while senior Megan McKay also recorded a goal and an assist. Freshman Savanna Robinson assisted on two of the five Rock goals.
 
For McKay, her fourth goal for the season was also her 26th on her career. The goal moved her to first place for goals scored in a career passing Marlene Hall (1985-88). Already the school's all-time points leaders, McKay now needs just one assist to move into a tie for first place in SRU history in career assists as well.
 
Downing's goals were the first of her Rock career while Rosenblum also collected her first career two-goal game.
 
Junior goalkeeper Nicole Bream made 12 saves on 14 Bellarmine shots on goal in 70 minutes played to raise her season save percentage to .778.  
 
Bellarmine scored first on a goal from Lillie Nitzken off a pass from Aimee Ilgenfritz at just under five minutes played in the first period.
 
At 13:01, Downing stole the ball from a BU defender in the Knights zone and fired a shot into the right side of the cage for the goal. Just three minutes later, McKay received a pass to the middle of the Bellarmine zone from Robinson and put her record-breaking goal past BU keeper Brittanny Macnab to give SRU a 2-1 lead.
 
Amanda Jaworski closed out the half for Bellarmine with a game-tying goal with just six minutes to play before the break from a pass across the SRU zone from Megan Carney.
 
Coming out of the break, Rosenblum found the back of the cage for her first goal off a pass from Robinson at 54:45, and then scored again at 59:10 to put Slippery Rock comfortably ahead, 4-2.
 
Downing finished out the scoring with just under two minutes left to play in regulation on a pass to the middle from McKay en route to the 5-2 win.
 
Slippery Rock grabbed the three-goal victory despite Bellarmine holding advantages in shots on goal (14-11) and penalty corners (15-4).
 
The Rock played its best offensive game of the year on a day that was a celebration of the late Meghan McKinney, a former Rock standout who played at SRU from 2010-13. Slippery Rock dedicated a bench outside the field hockey locker room in McKinney's honor following the victory.
 
The Rock returns to action 4 p.m. Sept. 20 at No. 8 Bloomsburg.