JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University men's soccer team ended its two-game road trip with a 6-2 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division victory over the University of Pitt-Johnstown Wednesday.
With the win SRU improves to 5-4-2 overall and 2-1-0 in the PSAC West while Pitt-Johnstown falls to 1-8-1 overall and 0-5-0 in the conference.
The Rock's offense was led by
Ramses Minaya who tallied five points on two goals and one assist claiming the team-lead in points on the year with 10. Other SRU goal scorers included
Alejandro Fernandez,
Harry Griffin,
Mo Kanani and
Arturo Pla Hernandis with one each.
Rounding out SRU's attack was
Anthony Gagliardi II with a pair of assists along with Pla Hernandis and
Joe Skillicorn lending an assist each.
Goalkeeper
Derek Hoffman earned his first start of the season. In 90 minutes, Hoffman made two saves while allowing two goals.
Slippery Rock held advantages over the Mountain Cats in total shots (18-15), shots on goal (8-4) and corner kicks (11-5).
Both teams got off to a muted start trading shots and going 30 minutes scoreless until UPJ struck first to take the 1-0 lead at 30:59.
Slippery Rock answered back nine minutes later when Minaya netted his third goal of the season from assists by Gagliardi II and Pla Hernandis to tie the score, 1-1, heading into halftime.
Coming out of the break, The Rock attack only got stronger as less than three minutes in, Fernandez tallied his third goal of the season on an assist by Minaya. After lending a helping hand, Minaya would follow suit in the 53rd minute with his second goal of the game, and fourth of the season, via an assist by Gagliardi II.
The Rock extended their lead to 4-1 at the foot of
Harry Griffin for his first goal at Slippery Rock in the 63rd minute.
Pitt-Johnstown managed to trim SRU's lead to two goals following a score at 68:22, but any thoughts of a comeback were promptly slashed when Pla Hernandis and Kanani closed out the game with goals in the 77th and 80th minutes, respectively, on the way to a 6-2 win.
The six goals scored Wednesday by SRU marked its third highest single-game output dating back to the 2016 season, a span of 82 games.
Slippery Rock returns home to continue PSAC West action in its Homecoming match against Seton Hill University 12 p.m. Saturday at James Egli Field.
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