SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Slippery Rock University senior attacker Emily Benham broke the SRU single-season assist record and The Rock outshot Mercyhurst 38-25, but the Lakers came away with a 13-8 win over SRU Saturday in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division game from Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
 
The teams traded early 3-0 runs to finish the first quarter level at 3-3 and swapped goals early in the second quarter to tie the game at 4-4 before Mercyhurst scored three times in just 58 seconds inside the final two minutes to take a 7-4 lead into halftime.

The Lakers outscored SRU 4-1 in the third quarter and The Rock could never recover from the deficit.
 
Slippery Rock dips to 7-5 overall and 3-4 in PSAC West games with the loss, while Mercyhurst improves to 7-3 overall and 4-2 in PSAC West action.
 
The Rock carried the possession for large stretches of the game Saturday and posted advantages of 38-25 in shots, 14-11 in draw controls and 11-3 in caused turnovers. SRU also turned the ball over just 12 times to 20 turnovers for the Lakers, but Mercyhurst goalie Kaitlyn Lippert stole the show with 20 saves to lift her team to the win.
 
Benham scored two goals and handed out two assists to pace the attack for SRU, giving her 26 total assists this spring and establishing a new single-season program record. She tops the former record of 25 that was set by Kaytlin Callaghan in 2015.
 
Charleigh Rondeau added two goals and seven draw controls and Eryn Little also tallied two goals. Molly Buettner and Katie Dlugosz each scored one goal and Brooke Kelly and Camryn Whipple each handed out one assist to cap the scorers.
 
Gillian O'Rourke made six saves in goal.
 
Mercyhurst got five goals and four assists from Victoria Gottorff, but Lippert was the most important player on the field as her 20 saves kept the Lakers in control. She made 12 of those 20 saves in the second half to squash any chance of an SRU comeback.
 
Slippery Rock will look to bounce back Wednesday when it travels to No. 22 Seton Hill looking for a season sweep after upsetting the Griffins 12-7 earlier this season. Game time is set for 4 p.m.
 
 
 
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