LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's lacrosse team dropped a 19-14 decision on the road at Lock Haven University Saturday in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division game from Charlotte Smith field.
 
The loss is the second this week for SRU and drops The Rock to 6-4 overall and 2-3 in PSAC West games. Lock Haven improves to 5-4 overall and 2-3 in PSAC games with the win.
 
For the 10th straight game this season, Slippery Rock finished with an advantage in total shots, but struggled with turnovers and shots that missed the target. SRU fired 40 total shots in the game for a 40-32 advantage over LHU. The Rock also posted a 28-25 edge in shots on goal and doubled up Lock Haven in the draw circle with a 24-12 advantage in draw controls. The Bald Eagles posted a 21-20 edge in ground balls and benefited from 22 total turnovers by SRU.
 
Lock Haven led 5-4 after the first quarter and pushed the advantage out to 9-6 at halftime. The lead grew to a game-high margin of six goals at 13-7 with 9:33 to play in the third quarter before Slippery Rock began to chip away at the deficit. SRU scored three straight to cut it to 13-10, but LHU answered with a pair of goals to push it back out to 15-10.
 
The Rock cut the advantage back to three goals at 17-14 with 5:07 to play, but would get no closer as LHU tallied two insurance goals in the final minutes for the win.
 
Emily Benham paced the SRU attack with a career-high 10 points on six goals and four assists as the only SRU player to score more than two points in the game.
 
Charleigh Rondeau netted two goals and Katie Dlugosz and Brooke Kelly each scored one goal and handed out one assist to cap the multiple point scorers.
 
Rachel Mahoney, Eryn Little, Jamie DiCarlo and Brooke Wisniewski all scored one goal and Molly Buettner handed out one assist to round out the point scorers for SRU.
 
Rondeau and Mahoney each pulled down nine draw controls, while Taylor Baiers led the defense with a career-high five caused turnovers to go with five ground balls. Hailey Ohlsen added three caused turnovers and three ground balls.
 
Gillian O'Rourke made six saves and finished with a .240 save percentage in goal. Four of Lock Haven's goals were scored on free position shots and another three were scored with a player advantage.
 
Lock Haven got five goals and one assist from Caitlin Morrow and six goals from Krysta Reading to lead its attack. Lauren Girardi finished with 14 saves and a .500 save percentage in goal.
 
Slippery Rock will close out the toughest stretch of its season with a 4 p.m. road game Tuesday at Indiana (Pa.), which will mark The Rock's fourth consecutive road game.
 
 

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