SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University field hockey team earned a 2-1 shootout victory against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference foe Mercyhurst University Wednesday at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
 
Wednesday's victory improves The Rock's record to 7-6 overall and 1-4 in the PSAC while the Lakers fall to 2-11 overall and 0-5 in league competition.
 
Bailee Christman scored the game's first goal in the 42nd minute on a Kayla Del Vecchio assist only for the Lakers to find the equalizer just over two minutes later courtesy of a Maddie Huffer goal.
 
The Rock and Lakers remained tied for the remainder of the second half as the game headed to overtime knotted at 1-1.
 
SRU dominated possession and registered 10 shots all the while limiting Mercyhurst to very few scoring opportunities over the entirety of two 10-minute overtime periods, but Slippery Rock was ultimately unable to secure the game-winning goal as the contest headed to a shootout.
 
Del Vecchio opened the shootout for Slippery Rock by going to her right, which in turn got Mercyhurst goalkeeper Kayla Desormeau out of position and allowed her to easily slide a shot into a wide-open cage.
 
While Slippery Rock was unable to convert another attempt it did not matter as the remainder of the shootout belonged to goalkeeper Grace Burker, who stopped all five Laker attempts to secure SRU's first league victory of the season.
 
Burker closed the game with eight saves over four quarters of regulation and two overtime periods.
 
Christman's goal was her team-leading sixth of the season while Del Vecchio's assist was her eighth of the season, tying her with Kailee Krupski for the most assists in Slippery Rock single-season history.
 
Del Vecchio is also now tied for fourth place in program history alongside Krupski (2014-17) and Gabrielle Malishchak (2009-12) for the most career assists at SRU with 11.
 
All told, Slippery Rock had 16 shots on goal Wednesday. Leslie Colliver and Erin Roland each placed four shots on target while the quartet of Del Vecchio, Christman, Samantha Karmonick and Gianna Conti compiled two apiece.
 
For the game, Slippery Rock held sizable advantages over the Lakers in total shots (29-9), shots on goal (16-9) and corners (12-7).
 
SRU is now 3-0 in games that go past regulation with previous overtime victories against Belmont Abbey and Frostburg State as well Wednesday's shootout victory.
 
Slippery Rock returns to the road when it travels to No. 3 West Chester University for a PSAC game 4 p.m. Saturday.
 
 
 

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