SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The 23rd ranked Seton Hill University women's lacrosse team outscored Slippery Rock University 8-1 in the third quarter to erase a halftime deficit and held on for a 15-11 win to stay unbeaten in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division action after a spirited game Saturday at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
 
The Griffins improve to 11-3 overall and a perfect 9-0 in PSAC West games with the win, while Slippery Rock slips to 8-5 overall and 4-4 in PSAC West games with its third loss to a ranked opponent this season.
 
The teams traded goals in an entertaining and evenly matched first half before Lauren Searles completed a hat trick with a free position shot with 14 seconds left to give The Rock a 7-6 halftime lead.
 
Slippery Rock won seven of the first eight draw controls in the game and had a 10-5 advantage in the draw circle at the break.
 
Seton Hill flipped that script and won nine straight draws in the third quarter and used that massive possession advantage to more than double its scoring output from the entire first half. The Griffins poured in eight goals in the period, posted a 9-1 advantage in the draw circle and outscored SRU 8-1 to take a 14-8 lead into the fourth quarter.
 
Slippery Rock outscored Seton Hill 3-1 in the final period and posted a 4-1 advantage in the draw circle over the final 15 minutes, but could never recover from the lopsided third period.
 
Both teams finished with nearly identical numbers overall with Seton Hill posting a 31-28 edge in total shots, SRU managing an 18-16 edge in ground balls and both teams finishing with 15 draw controls. The Rock were 12-of-18 on clear attempts and turned the ball over 20 times, while Seton Hill was 14-of-17 on the clear with 16 total turnovers. SRU also had three shots that hit the post and one more than hit the crossbar for a total of four shots off the pipe.
 
Slippery Rock was paced by Searles with the hat trick with all three goals coming in the first half. She finished with a game-high eight total shots. Leora Owings added two goals, five draw controls and two caused turnovers and Ida Modin scored two goals and handed out one assist.
 
Charleigh Rondeau finished with one goal, three caused turnovers and eight draw controls in a head-to-head matchup of the two best players in the PSAC in the draw circle. Rondeau entered the game averaging just over nine draws per game to lead the nation, while Seton Hill's Megan Bunker averaged just under eight draws per game and ranked ninth in Division II. Bunker earned a 9-8 edge over Rondeau in draw controls Saturday with the only difference in the total coming via a free draw after an SRU yellow card in the second half.
 
 The Rock also got one goal each from Camryn Whipple, Rachel Mahoney and Brooke Wisniewski and one assist each from Sydney Ulmer, Victoria Ziemba and Maddie Blazey.
 
SRU finished with 12 caused turnovers with Rondeau and Hailey Ohlsen leading the way with three each. Nicole Masi and Owings each finished with two.
 
Gillian O'Rourke took the loss in goal after allowing 14 goals and recording eight saves in the first three periods. Izzie Sutton played the final period and allowed one goal while making two saves.
 
Seton Hill was paced by Grace Agnello with a game-high six points on three goals and three assists. Piper Conlan and Mila Udovicic each scored two goals and had one assist. Kyleigh Hessian earned the win in goal after recording eight saves.
 
Saturday's game was Senior Day at SRU with seniors Rondeau, Sara Danowski and Alexa Juska all being recognized in the pregame ceremony. Rondeau and Danowski will both graduate with engineering degrees this spring and already have engineering jobs lined up and Juska will graduate early and has been accepted into the Doctor of Physical Therapy program at SRU.
 
Slippery Rock will look to get back in the win column when it hosts Gannon University Wednesday at 4 p.m.
 
 


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