SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — The Slippery Rock University men's soccer team secured its first win of the season with a 5-2 decision against Daemen University Wednesday at James Egli Field.
 
The Rock improve to 1-2-2 on the season while the Wildcats take their third straight loss, falling to 1-4-1.
 
Arturo Pla Hernandis led Slippery Rock with two goals, taking six shots in total. Also taking six shots was Aitor Jorde, who scored his second career goal. In what was his first start, Aashi Pandher netted the first points of his career with a goal and an assist. The Rock additionally got on the board by way of a Wildcats own goal.
 
Ignacio Rullan and Joe Skillicorn both took two shots on the day. Rullan helped up front with his first and second career assists. SRU also saw contributions from Luke Gildea and Will Harrigan with one shot apiece.
 
Adam Davies picked up his second career win while facing a career-high 13 shots faced. He made five saves on the day.
 
It took 27 minutes for either side to break through in a game dominated in the midfield, but Pla Hernandis picked up his third goal of the year by gently toeing the ball into the net on a cross from Pandher for what turned out to be the lone goal of the first half.
 
Going into the half, Slippery Rock led in shots, 12-6. The Rock had far more opportunities to convert attacks, thanks in part to holding a 5-2 edge in corner kicks.
 
Daemen leveled things only seven minutes into the second frame via a penalty kick scored by Alex Aguirre.
 
Just two minutes later, Daemen keeper Harry Firth picked up a pass from a teammate, resulting in a yellow card and an indirect free kick in the box. Rullan tapped the ball to Pla Hernandis, who fired a line drive past a four-man wall, soaring into the netting for his second goal of the game and fourth goal of the year.
 
Daemen would again answer rapidly, as Elijah Douglas nabbed another equalizer for the Wildcats 89 seconds after Slippery Rock's goal.
 
The floodgates remained open, though, as Pandher, defended heavily at the top of the box, fired a torpedo of a goal into the upper righthand side of the net before the keeper could even react. The score would end up becoming the game-winning goal.
 
In the 63^rd minute, Skillicorn took a free kick at midfield and placed it perfectly to Pla Hernandis who stood at the far post. Pla Hernandis looked for a cross to the opposite side of the net, but the ball instead found the leg of a Daemen defender attempting to clear the ball, misdirecting it past his own keeper for an own goal.
 
Despite now holding a 4-2 lead, Slippery Rock kept firing on all cylinders. In the 79^th minute, Pla Hernandis sent a header toward the goal, being denied a hat trick by the crossbar. The ball deflected to Rullan who fired a shot that was blocked by a defender. That block rebounded into a another shot that Jorde took, finally sneaking over the line for a fifth goal.
 
Daemen mustered up three shots in the closing minutes, two sailing wide and one into the gloves of Davies as Slippery Rock closed out the three-goal victory.
 
Until Wednesday, SRU had not scored five goals in a game since Oct. 19, 2022 against California (Pa.) in a 5-0 win. That was also The Rock's most recent program win to date, and it was also Davies' first career win.
 
The victory over Daemen marks the fourth time in seven years that Slippery Rock has totaled five or more goals in a single game. The seven collective goals on the day is the highest scoring game that SRU has played since a 6-2 win over Pitt-Johnstown on Oct. 13, 2021.
 
In total, Slippery Rock led in total shots (19-14), shots on goal (10-7) and corner kicks (10-7).
 
The Rock will hit the road for a 3:30 p.m. Saturday kickoff at Roberts Wesleyan University. Slippery Rock fell to the Redhawks at home last year, 3-1.
 



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