SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University men's soccer team lost a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference contest to Mercyhurst University, 3-1, Wednesday afternoon at James Egli Field.
 
Slippery Rock (1-4-1, 1-2-1 PSAC) recorded season-highs in both shots (20) and shots on goal (nine) while also matching its season-best total in corner kicks with five.
 
Jacob Thiel paced The Rock's efforts Tuesday with his first goal of the season. Mike Pcholinsky assisted on the score for what was also his first of 2016.
 
The trio of George Oakley, Justin Minda and Josh Allman all registered three shots on the afternoon. Pcholinsky, Kyle Boyer and Patrick Sullivan each recorded two shots with Thiel, Anthony Werth, Adolfo Segura, Nick Sodini and Enrique Trevino all producing one shot.
 
Goalkeeper Steven Rerick made his second start of the season, stopping a season-high seven shots in 90 minutes.
 
Both offenses started out quick as the Lakers posted the first two shots on goal of the game in the sixth minute, both of which Rerick stopped, with The Rock countering by attempting four shots of its own over the following 14 minutes of play.
 
Mercyhurst (4-2-1, 3-1-0 PSAC) struck first when Thom Derks scored his sixth goal of the season at 25:42 to give the Lakers the early 1-0 advantage.
 
Undeterred, Slippery Rock continued to be the aggressors with four more shots Immediately following the Lakers' goal until finally breaking through the Mercyhurst defense in the 36th minute when Thiel beat goalkeeper Alex Brems off of Pcholinsky's assist to make it a 1-1 game with under nine minutes to play in the opening half. Rerick then stopped a pair of Jorge Gonzalez shots to keep it a tie game heading into the break.
 
Nine minutes into the second half Mark Roche broke the tie when he was able to place his shot over Rerick's hands and just under the crossbar to give Mercyhurst a 2-1 edge at 56:14.
 
Slippery Rock's bid for another game-tying goal included two shots by Allman, one of which was blocked by a Laker defender and another which was saved by Brems as well as an attempt by Pcholinsky that sailed wide.
 
However, Mercyhurst put the game away with an insurance goal at 77:12 by Gonzalez that pushed the Lakers' lead to two goals. SRU's best chances for another goal came in the 79th minute when back-to-back shots by Sullivan were stopped as Mercyhurst hung on for the 3-1 win. 
 
Slippery Rock will look to return to its winning ways when it hosts Wheeling Jesuit University for a non-conference match at Egli Field 3:30 p.m. Saturday on Alumni Day.