GAME PROGRAM INFO
Slippery Rock has moved away from printed game programs for all sports in 2023-24. This page will serve as the "Digital Game Program" for this week's game. To navigate to all gameday info for any SRU home events this year, simply visit
rockathletics.com/gameday or scan the QR code on the "Gameday Info" posters hanging in each facility.
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — The Slippery Rock University men's soccer team will face No. 10
Gannon University, its second straight nationally ranked team, 4 p.m. Wednesday at James Egli Field. The game will be the first of three consecutive home games for The Rock.
Slippery Rock enter with an overall record of 2-4-4 and a 1-2 mark in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division. The Golden Knights look to defend their undefeated 10-0-1 overall record and their 3-0 showing in PSAC West play.
WATCH ON YOUR TV - "ROCK ATHLETICS DIGITAL NETWORK" APPS
• Fans can watch Wednesday's game live and on-demand for free on the Rock Athletics Digital Network, created and operated by the SRU athletic communication office.
• Search for Rock Athletics Digital Network in the app stores on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku and Android TV devices. The streaming web player linked above will also integrate with Chrome Cast devices to allow viewers to cast the game to those devices.
GAME 11 of 17
Opponent: Gannon
Date: Wednesday — 4 p.m.
Venue: James Egli Field
Location: Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
Live Video: Rock Athletics Digital Network
Live Stats: Slippery Rock Athletic Communication
In-game Updates: X (@Rock_Athletics)
SERIES HISTORY vs. GANNON
Wednesday marks the 46
th all-time meeting between The Rock and the Golden Knights, a series that dates to 1968. Slippery Rock holds the series lead with a 23-20-2 record, winning 13 of the first 15 matches played between the two sides. Gannon enters on a seven-game winning streak, with The Rock looking for their first win since Oct. 7, 2015. In the last nine meetings, Slippery Rock has been outscored, 17-2.
SRU is 10-11-2 all-time versus Gannon while at home, last defeating the Golden Knights on home soil Oct. 22, 2014, in a 4-3 victory. The Rock played Gannon to a scoreless draw Sept. 24, 2017, at home.
LAST MEETING
Slippery Rock fell Oct. 22, 2022 on the road at Gannon, 1-0. The Golden Knights tapped into the scoring column in the 39
th minute, but despite outshooting The Rock 19-3, would not find the back of the net again. Gannon struggled to place the ball on target, tallying only seven of its 19 shots on net. All three of The Rock's shots came in the second half.
THE ROCK BY THE NUMBERS
Overall Record: 2-4-4
PSAC West Record: 1-2-0
PSAC West Standings: T-3
rd
Home Record: 2-1-1
Away Record: 0-3-3
Last Five Games: 1-2-2
Streak: L1
Head Coach: Kevin Wilhelm | Sixth season at SRU (27-44-12)
LAST TIME OUT
Slippery Rock traveled Oct. 7 to No. 20 Mercyhurst University, falling in a valiant effort, 3-1. The Lakers got on the board in the 35
th minute on a deflection that skipped past
Adam Davies. In the 50
th minute,
Gabin Lonjard scored his second career goal on a corner kick from
Shaun Spencer. The equalizer held until the 67
th minute, when Mercyhurst punched in the game-winner. The Lakers added an insurance goal in the 85
th minute, as well.
Mercyhurst led in shots, 16-6, but through the first 50 minutes, The Rock were only outshot, 7-6.
Aitor Jorde led SRU in shots with two.
MORE POINTS FOR THE ROCK
Following his goal last week at Shepherd University,
Arturo Pla Hernandis continues to lead the Slippery Rock offense with 12 points on six goals.
Jorde has six points on three goals, followed by Lonjard and
Aashi Pandher, each with five points on two goals and one assist.
Ignacio Rullan has chipped in four points on one goal and two assists.
Each of the last four games has seen one assist from either
Luke Gildea or
Shaun Spencer. Both now have two points from their pair of assists.
Chris Mitchell,
Max Murphy and
Joe Skillicorn each have one point this year from one assist.
A TENACIOUS OFFENSE
Pla Hernandis leads the team in both shots and shots on goal, putting 15 of his 29 shots on target. Following his multi-shot effort at Mercyhurst, Jorde has become the second player to reach 20 shots, landing nine of his 20 on net.
Pandher's early-season surge helped him reach 13 shots, while Rullan is the last player in the double-digits with 10.
Ryan Hanes leads all players without a point on the season with four shots.
ARTURO'S IMPACT
Pla Hernandis ranks fifth in the PSAC (second in the PSAC West) in shots per game with 2.90. His 1.50 shots on goal per game are tied for second in the PSAC.
Pla Hernandis is one of five players in the PSAC with six or more goals this season, averaging .600 a game. He also ranks in the top 10 in the conference for points at 1.20 per match.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
Three of The Rock's top-four point scorers are all in their first year at Slippery Rock: sophomore Jorde and freshmen Lonjard and Pandher. They have combined for 16 points (39 percent of the team's total).
CORNER KICKS GALORE
Adding 11 corners over the last pair of games, Slippery Rock now averages 5.9 corner kicks per match, second most in the PSAC West (Gannon, 6.45). The Rock also ranks fourth in the PSAC as a whole in corners per game.
In total, The Rock have taken 59 corner kicks, allowing 54 from its opponents.
RANKING WELL IN CLEAN PLAY
Slippery Rock has committed 11 fouls per game this season, fewest in the PSAC West and third least in the whole conference. Additionally, The Rock have been whistled offsides just 14 times this year, (1.4 per game), the least in the PSAC.
SRU vs. RANKED OPPONENTS
Slippery Rock has gone winless in its last 11 matches against nationally ranked opponents, going 0-9-2. Slippery Rock's last win versus a ranked opponent came Nov. 8, 2015 when The Rock defeated No. 21 Millersville University, 2-1, for the PSAC Championship.
SRU tied No. 25 Lake Erie College, 1-1, in its 2021 season opener. The last time Slippery Rock defeated a team ranked No. 20 or better was also the last time Slippery Rock has won a road game against Mercyhurst.
ROCK DEFENSE
Slippery Rock's defense has continued to be led by freshmen Lonjard and
Jeroen Van Der Veen, both averaging over 85 minutes per game.
Will Harrigan and
Nate Stalter have been the top supplements. The Rock has allowed an average of two goals a game in their last three matches.
A RETURNING FACE TO THE DEFENSE
Sophomore
Ethan Boland made his first appearance for The Rock against Mercyhurst last week, registering 19 minutes. The Coraopolis, Pennsylvania native and Frostburg State University transfer made a pair of cameos last year for Slippery Rock.
IN THE NET
Davies enters Wednesday's match with 40 saves on the year, bringing a save percentage of .690 and a GAA of 1.80. Two games ago at Shepherd, Davies made a career-high six saves.
WHERE THEY STAND
SRU is one of the four teams in the PSAC West that have three points on one win, behind Gannon (nine points) and Mercyhurst (six points). Slippery Rock is joined by California (Pa.), Pitt-Johnstown and Seton Hill in the race for the third and final postseason berth.
ACTIVE SRU ROSTER vs. GANNON
Joe Skillicorn — 1 point (0 goals, 1 assist)
THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS BY THE NUMBERS
Overall Record: 10-0-1 (1.000)
PSAC West Record: 3-0-0
PSAC West Standings: 1
st
Home Record: 6-0-0
Away Record: 4-0-1
Last Five Games: 4-0-1
Streak: W4
Head Coach: Billy Colton | Fifth season at Gannon (60-15-6, .778)
GANNON SCOUTING REPORT
The nationally ranked Golden Knights have been near-perfect this year, tying just once on the road at Saginaw Valley State University, 1-1. Of Gannon's 10 wins this year, perhaps the most eye-opening was its 5-1 victory versus No. 10 Mercyhurst, a game that featured 10 combined yellow cards and a cumulative 35 shots.
Despite Gannon's dominance offensively, the Golden Knights have only recorded three shutouts this year: a 1-0 win over The College of Saint Rose, a 5-0 road win over Cal and most recently, last week's 3-0 victory over Seton Hill.
Over the last four games, Gannon has outscored its opponents 18-3 including three straight five-goal performances.
The Golden Knights offense has been guided by Tinashe Katsande, who has 24 points on nine goals and six assists. Of his 18 shots, Katsande has scored on 50 percent of his opportunities. He enters Wednesday's match looking to score in his sixth consecutive game.
Three other players have entered the double digits in points: James Pool (16 points on seven goals and two assists), defender Pau Ferrer (14 points on two goals and 10 assists) and freshman Rafa Hyde (10 points on four goals and two assists).
Sophomore Samuel Alarcon has started 10 of 11 matches in net, allowing nine goals on 116 shots faced. Alarcon carries a GAA of 0.91 and a save percentage of .820, making 41 stops on the year.
Head coach Billy Colton leads a Gannon squad that features international representation (46 percent of the roster) from 12 countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Finland, Germany, Japan, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States and Zimbabwe.
LOOKING AHEAD
Slippery Rock will resume its three-game homestand 1 p.m. Saturday against Seton Hill at James Egli Field.
To stay up to date with all that happens at The Rock, follow our official athletic communication accounts on 'X' (formerly Twitter, @Rock_Athletics), Facebook (RockAthletics) and Instagram (RockAthletics).
