SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's lacrosse team led wire-to-wire and came away with an 8-6 victory over rival Indiana University (Pa.) Wednesday afternoon in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference game from Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
 
The victory moves The Rock to 3-4 overall and 2-2 in PSAC games, while Indiana drops to 3-4 overall and 1-2 in league games.
 
Slippery Rock scored the first goal of the game just 2:37 into the first period and would never relinquish that lead. The Rock added two more goals before 10 minutes had passed to lead 3-0 early and maintained a 5-3 lead at halftime after IUP scored with just 2.4 seconds left before the break.
 
Indiana opened the scoring in the second half to cut it to 5-4, but SRU responded to regain a two-goal cushion. IUP again cut the deficit back to one at 6-5 with 19:24 to play, but SRU answered back to regain the two-goal margin with 16:06 left. The Crimson Hawks scored their final goal with 10:21 to play to make it a one-goal game again, but SRU answered that tally as well to make it 8-6 with 8:10 to play.
 
The two teams combined for just two total shots, one each, over a stretch of more than seven minutes after The Rock's final goal. IUP put together a frantic effort inside the final minute with five total shots and three free-position attempts all inside the last 44 seconds, but one shot went wide and SRU goalie Haley Barrett made four stops to preserve the win.
 
Barrett played her best game of the season to finish with 12 total saves, including seven in the second half. She also grabbed five ground balls and finished with just one turnover while holding IUP to single-digit scoring for the first time all year. The Crimson Hawks entered the game averaging 13.83 goals per game.
 
Slippery Rock posted a 26-21 advantage in total shots and finished with 18 caused turnovers on a total of 25 Indiana turnovers. IUP managed slim advantages of 9-7 in draw controls and 25-23 in ground balls. Both teams were strong on the clear with IUP going 20-of-23 and SRU going 19-of-24.
 
The Rock got goals from seven different players in a balanced offensive effort, led by two goals from Emily Benham and one goal and one assist from ShyAnne Toomer. Toomer also paced the midfielders with four ground balls.
 
Kelsey Thoensen, Tori Penders, Katie Dlugosz, Hayley Pimentel and Francesca Lindelow all scored one goal and Savannah Renner added one assist to cap the point scorers. Penders snagged four of The Rock's seven draw controls.
 
Rachel Shaw and Danie Porath combined to cause nine total turnovers in SRU's best defensive effort of the season. Shaw finished with five caused turnovers and six ground balls and Porath added four caused turnovers.
 
Indiana got a hat trick from Ally Burrows and two goals and one assist from Victoria Kerkovich. Goalie Carly Mansur took the loss after recording 10 saves with five in each half.
 
Wednesday's win marks the first time in the series against Indiana that SRU has won back-to-back games after also posting a one-goal win at IUP in 2018. The victory is just the third in the series for SRU, which improves to 3-15 against IUP dating back to 2007. Each of the last six games in the series have now been decided by four goals or less.

Slippery Rock will now turn its focus to a Saturday road trip to No. 8 East Stroudsburg for a noon game that will mark the third time SRU will play on the road at a top 10 nationally ranked opponent this year. It will also mark The Rock's fifth game against a nationally ranked opponent in the first eight games of the season.
 
 

To stay up to date with all that happens at The Rock, follow our official athletic communication accounts on Twitter (@Rock_Athletics), Facebook (RockAthletics), Instagram (RockAthletics) and Snapchat (@RockAthletics).