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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's soccer team will begin its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference schedule with a road game at Kutztown University 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon at Keystone Field.
 
MATCH DETAILS
Opponent: Kutztown University
Date: Saturday, Sept. 1 – 1 p.m.
Location: Keystone Field  |  Kutztown, Pa.
Live Video: Link
Live Stats: Link
In-game Updates: Twitter (@Rock_Athletics)
All-Time Series: Rock leads, 13-9-1
Last Played: Sept. 19, 2017 (The Rock lost 2-1 at home)
 
LAST MEETING
The Golden Bears beat The Rock, 2-1, at James Egli Field. At the time, Kutztown was ranked third in the country. KU's Emily Zwiercan and Morgan Staley registered a goal apiece. Taylor Gunn scored SRU's only goal and Skye Kramer recorded the assist. 
 
SERIES HISTORY
Slippery Rock owns a 13-9-1 record against Kutztown dating back 1994. However, the Golden Bears have won the last two games. In both contests, KU was nationally ranked at the time.
 
SLIPPERY ROCK PRIMER
2018 Record: 1-0-0
2018 PSAC Record: 0-0-0
2018 Home Record: 1-0-0
2018 Away Record: 0-0-0
Last Five Games (Dating back to 2017): 2-2-1
2018 Preseason Poll: Picked to finish fifth in PSAC
Head Coach: Jessica Griggs | Fourth season at SRU (34-20-4) | Fifth season overall (45-29-5)
 
SCOUTING THE ROCK
• PRIOR ROAD TESTS – Historically, Slippery Rock plays pretty well when beginning its road schedule. SRU is 14-10-1 in its first away game of the season since the start of the program in 1993.   
 
• "SO YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S A CHANCE?" – With a 1-0 victory over West Virginia Wesleyan, SRU is 1-0-0 to begin its 2018 campaign. It's the first time the team has started the year off with a win since 2013. The Rock currently have a chance to go 2-0-0 for the first time since 2012.
 
• TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK – Kaitlyn Barackman's goal Thursday was off an assist by Kramer. SRU has shown shades of unselfish play dating back to last season. Its last unassisted goal was October 18, 2017 at Mercyhurst. The last six of its seven goals scored have included an assist.
 
• QUITE A DEFENSIVE SHOWING – Slippery Rock shut out the Bobcats Thursday and only surrendered one shot on goal. Since head coach Jessica Griggs took over the program in 2015, SRU has registered 23 shutouts. Last year, the team tallied eight shutouts and did not allow more than two goals in a game all season long.
 
• RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME – Barackman's game winner Thursday was her fifth dating back to last season. In 2017, she registered four game winners, which was third in the PSAC.
 
• PULLING OFF THE UPSET – Slippery Rock's win today marks the first time since 2014 that it has defeated a ranked opponent. In that win, SRU knocked off No. 6 California (Pa.), 1-0, on September 10, 2014.
 
• MILESTONE WATCH – Downs recorded her 13th career shutout and she now sits alone at third all-time in SRU women's soccer history in the category.
 
NEXT FIVE GAMES
Sept. 5 (4 p.m.) at Indiana (Pa.)
Sept. 8 (1 p.m.) vs. Mansfield
Sept. 12 (7 p.m.) at Clarion
Sept. 15 (6 p.m.) at Walsh
Sept. 18 (4 p.m.) vs. Edinboro
 
KUTZTOWN PRIMER
2018 Record: 1-0-0
2018 PSAC Record: 0-0-0
2018 Home Record: 1-0-0
2018 Away Record: 0-0-0
Last Five Games (Dating back to 2017): 3-2-0
2018 Preseason Poll: Picked to finish third in PSAC
Head Coach: Erik Burstein  |  12th season at KU (154-62-14)  |  15th season overall (177-91-6)
 
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN BEARS
• Kutztown returns their top two point scorers from a year ago in Zwiercan and Maddie Mohr. Zwiercan, a third-team All-American and PSAC Player of the Year, totaled 37 points on 14 goals and nine assists in 2017. She also registered Kutztown's lone goal Thursday against Charleston (W.Va.). Mohr was a first-team All-American and an All-PSAC selection after tallying 28 points on 14 goals.
 
• Joining Zwiercan and Mohr is Alyssa Ryan who was fourth on the team in points last season with 12 on four goals and four assists.
 
• Defensively, Kutztown was no stranger to the shutout. The team managed 11 total shutouts and surrendered just 14 goals all season in 2017.
 
• Starting goalkeeper from a season ago, Jenna Bracken, posted her first shutout this season. Last year, Bracken started all 15 games she appeared in and recorded a 10-4-1 record with a 0.80 goals against average and a 0.844 save percentage.
 
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock will continue its PSAC schedule with a road contest at Indiana (Pa.) Wednesday, Sept. 5. Game time is set for 4 p.m.
 
 

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