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 welcome Daemen University to James Egli Field 1 p.m. Wednesday for its second straight home game.
Slippery Rock enters 0-2-2, most recently coming away with a 1-1 draw against Shippensburg University. Daemen enters at 1-3-1 overall, and 0-1 in East Coast Conference play after losing to Queens College at home, 1-0.
WATCH LIVE
• 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 5 of 17
Opponent: Daemen
Date: Wednesday — 1 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. DAEMEN
Wednesday will mark the fifth all-time meeting between SRU and Daemen. The series saw a pair of games in 2014-15 and 2021-22, with Slippery Rock holding a 3-1 record. While playing at home, The Rock have gone 2-0, taking down Daemen in 2015 and 2021 in shutout wins of 2-0 and 1-0, respectively. As a result, Daemen is looking for its first goal in program history while playing at Slippery Rock.
LAST MEETING
The Rock traveled to Amherst, New York on Oct. 22, 2022, battling Daemen in a 1-0 loss. The first half saw balanced attacks with shots going 3-3. A 62
nd minute penalty kick goal taken by Daemen was all the Wildcats would need to come away with a 1-0 win. The win was Daemen's first over SRU in program history.
Slippery Rock was outshot 10-8, with contributions for The Rock coming from
Alex Plimmer with two shots, as well as
Topher Garcia,
Luke Gildea,
Samuel Hillman,
Ramses Minaya,
Max Murphy and
Arturo Pla Hernandis with one shot apiece.
In net,
Adam Davies and
Hossam Aly both played one half, with Aly allowing the penalty kick goal. Aly had all three of The Rock's saves.
THE ROCK BY THE NUMBERS
Overall Record: 0-2-2
Home Record: 0-1-1
Away Record: 0-1-1
Last Five Games: 0-3-2
Streak: T1
Head Coach: Kevin Wilhelm | Sixth season at SRU (25-42-10)
LAST TIME OUT
Slippery Rock hosted Shippensburg Sept. 16 in a 1-1 draw. The scoring began just 11 minutes in when Pla Hernandis sent in a through ball from freshman
Chris Mitchell. The assist from Mitchell marked his first career point. After the Raiders fell shorthanded to a 32
nd minute red card, Slippery Rock was able to control the shooting advantage to 8-4 by halftime.
Shippensburg fought back in the 69
th minute with a corner kick from Ashton Davies that got bobbled into the net, knotting the game at 1-1. SRU would only fire two more shots in the final 20 minutes of the match, settling for its second tie of the year.
THE UPPER HAND
For the first time this season, Slippery Rock outshot its opponent against Shippensburg. In total, The Rock led in shots, 16-10. It was also the first occurrence of 2023 in which SRU led in shots on goal, holding a 7-5 edge over the Raiders.
The last time Slippery Rock finished the game with more shots than its opponent was on Oct. 19, 2022 against California (Pa.) when SRU outshot the Vulcans 13-9. The 5-0 victory that day is also Slippery Rock's most recent win.
MORE POINTS FOR ARTURO
With his second goal of the season coming against Shippensburg, Pla Hernandis improves his points total on the year to four. He also scored a goal in the season opener at the University of the District of Columbia.
Pla Hernandis leads SRU with four points and 10 shots. He is third in the PSAC West in shots per game at 2.5. Pla Hernandis led The Rock a year ago in points with 16, all coming from his career-high eight goals.
FROM THE FLAG
The Rock took a season-high six corner kicks against Shippensburg, four of which came in the first half. Over the four games The Rock have played, they have tallied 18 corners, third in the PSAC West. SRU has limited its opponents to a collective 25 corners on the season.
A BRIEF HOMESTAND
Wednesday's game with Daemen will mark just one of two times this season that Slippery Rock will play consecutive home games. Slippery Rock will host Gannon University, Seton Hill University and California (Pa.) in a one-week stretch from Oct. 11-18.
Slippery Rock's last back-to-back home games were Oct. 4-8, 2022, in a pair of 3-1 losses to Roberts Wesleyan University and Seton Hill. Last season, Slippery Rock went 2-0-1 in its longest homestand of 2022. It featured a 1-1 tie with Shepherd University, a 1-0 win over UDC and a 4-1 victory over Pitt-Johnstown.
SEEKING OUT A DUB
The Rock, at 0-2-2, are trying to continue their 18-season streak of winning within the first five games of the season. In 2003, it took Slippery Rock until its sixth game of the year to win, coming by way of a 1-0 victory over Davis & Elkins College. That was also SRU's first home game of the 2003 season, starting 0-5 on a five-game road trip.
The last time that Slippery Rock only won one of its first five games came in 2017, when SRU started the year 1-3-1. The lone win came in a 2-0 road victory over Lake Erie College.
ANOTHER FIRST FOR A DEFENDER
Freshman
Gabin Lonjard of Dijon, France recorded his first collegiate shot on goal last week against Shippensburg. Lonjard also took his first two shots of his career in the match.
Lonjard accompanies
Joe Skillicorn as the only two field players to have not missed a minute of play this season. Lonjard has been one of the defense's young leaders, often joined on the back line by sophomore
Jeroen Van Der Veen.
IN THE NET
Davies allowed just two goals last week: a penalty kick from Lock Haven and a direct corner kick by Shippensburg. Now having faced 38 shots, Davies has recorded 18 saves. His 4.5 saves per game is tied with Cal's Payton Smith for most in the PSAC. Allowing seven goals on the year, Davies' GAA stands at 1.75, with his save percentage at .720, third in the PSAC West.
ACTIVE SRU ROSTER vs. DAEMEN
No active member of the SRU roster has points against Daemen. Pla Hernandis has four shots against the Wildcats, two of which have been on target. Gildea has three shots, while Garcia and Murphy have one.
Davies goaltended the opening 45 minutes against Daemen last season. He faced three shots, allowing no goals and recording no saves.
THE WILDCATS BY THE NUMBERS
Overall Record: 1-3-1 (.300)
ECC Record: 0-1-0
Home Record: 0-2-0
Away Record: 1-1-1
Last Five Games: 1-3-1
Streak: L2
Head Coach: Bediako Swan | Fifth season at Daemen (16-40-4, .300)
DAEMEN SCOUTING REPORT
Daemen enters Wednesday on a two-game home losing streak, falling to nationally ranked No. 9 Gannon, 4-1, and narrowly losing to Queens, 1-0.
Daemen and Slippery Rock have the common opponent of Walsh University, who Daemen opened its season with in a 2-1 loss to the Cavaliers. Slippery Rock also lost to Walsh, 3-0.
The Wildcats are led by a pair of freshmen in Elijah Douglas and Fabrizzio Jaramillo, each with four points on two goals. Junior transfer from Fulton-Montgomery Community College, Alex Aguirre, is the team's only other goal scorer, having three points on one goal and one assist.
The Wildcats' lone win came Sept. 2 at Malone University, 3-1. Daemen was outshot 22-7 in the victory.
Daemen takes an average of just 10 shots a game, third fewest in the ECC. Per game, the Wildcats have allowed 17.2 shots. Their 2.6 yellow cards per game leads the ECC.
Daemen's 1-3-1 start is the program's worst since 2019, when it went 0-17 on the season.
Slippery Rock is one of three PSAC opponents for the Wildcats this year, along with Gannon, who already beat Daemen, and Mercyhurst University, who hosts Daemen on Oct. 4. The Wildcats went 1-2-1 against PSAC members a year ago, with Slippery Rock being its one win.
Bediako Swan, the only Grenadian-born college soccer coach, leads the Wildcats in his fifth season. Daemen's roster has international representation from nine countries, including the Bahamas, Canada, France, Germany, Haiti, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Rock will stay in its New York state of mind when it plays yet another school from the Empire State in Roberts Wesleyan. The Rock kicks off at RWU 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Slippery Rock fell to the Redhawks 3-1 last year 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).
