GAME PROGRAM INFO
Slippery Rock has moved away from printed game programs for all sports in 2024-25. 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 vs. #23 Indiana (Pa.)
The Rock (5-4-3, 5-2-2 PSAC West)	Crimson Hawks (7-1-2, 5-1-2 PSAC West)
Roster	Roster
Schedule	Schedule
Statistics	Statistics
Coach Jessica Giegucz	Coach Noreen Herlihy
Program Records	Program Records
James Egli Field
PSAC Standings
PSAC Leaders
PSAC Schedule

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — The Slippery Rock University women's soccer team will host a nationally ranked team for the third time in five home games by taking on No. 23 Indiana University (Pa.) 1 p.m. Saturday at James Egli Field.
 
The Rock are looking to rebound with a 5-4-3 overall record that includes a 5-2-2 showing within the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division. The newly ranked Crimson Hawks, who are on track for their first PSAC Tournament appearance in five years, carry in a 7-1-2 mark on the season and a 5-1-2 PSAC West record.
 
WATCH ON YOUR TV - "ROCK ATHLETICS DIGITAL NETWORK" APPS
• Fans can watch Saturday'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.
 
NO PETS AT JAMES EGLI FIELD
Fans are reminded that there are NO PETS allowed at James Egli Field or in any SRU Athletics facilities. Please do not bring dogs or any other pets to the game. Unless they are a registered service animal, you will be asked to remove your pet from the facility.
 
GAME 13 of 17
Opponent: #23 Indiana (Pa.)
Date: Saturday – 1 p.m.
Location: Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
Venue: James Egli Field
Live Video: Rock Athletics Digital Network
Live Stats: Slippery Rock Athletic Communication
In-game Updates: X (@Rock_Athletics)
All-Time Series: 24-18-4
Current Streak: L1
Last Played: Sept. 21, 2024 at IUP (IUP won, 3-0)
 
TOP ACTIVE SRU CAREER STATS vs. IUP
Sydney Patrick – 7 points on 2 goals, 3 assists, 11 shots, 5 SOG (7 GP)
Libby Zacharyasz – 6 points on 3 goals, 11 shots, 8 SOG (5 GP)
Morgan Sarver – 2 points on 1 goal, 9 shots, 5 SOG (5 GP)
Leah Allman – (2-1), 2.00 GAA, 5 saves on 23 SF (3 GP)
 
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday will feature the 47^th all-time meeting between The Rock and the Crimson Hawks, a series that Slippery Rock holds a 24-18-4 lead in.
 
SRU saw its seven-game undefeated streak versus IUP come to an end Sept. 21, falling to the Crimson Hawks 3-0 on the road. Prior to that loss, Slippery Rock had gone 5-0-2 against IUP since meeting in the 2019 PSAC Tournament.
 
Slippery Rock is also 14-6-2 against Indiana at home, not having lost to IUP on home soil since a 1-0 defeat in 2013. The Rock last played IUP to a 3-2 victory Sept. 16, 2023 at James Egli Field, a game that saw all five goals come in the first half.
 
Sydney Patrick tallied a goal just 53 seconds into the game before Indiana equalized at 1-1 in the 17^th minute. Ashley Rea (20') and Morgan Sarver (43') gave The Rock a 3-1 lead before IUP scored with 50 seconds prior to halftime. The Rock outshot IUP 14-9, earning leads in shots on goal (9-3) and corner kicks (8-1).
 

TEAM COMPARISON
The Rock	Stats	#23 IUP
5-4-3	Overall Record	7-1-2
5-2-2	Conference Record	5-1-2
1.8	Goals per Game	1.7
1.1	Opp. Goals per Game	0.4
+9	Season Goal Differential	+13
16.4	Shots per Game	12.0
10.9	Opp. Shots per Game	10.1
8.0	SOG per Game	5.8
4.8	Opp. SOG per Game	4.2
1.9	Assists per Game	1.0
6.3	Corners per Game	3.6
6.7	Fouls per Game	8.1
3.8	Saves per Game	3.8

 
THE ROCK BY THE NUMBERS
Overall Record: 5-4-3
PSAC West Record: 5-2-2
Home Record: 1-2-2
Away Record: 4-2-1
Streak: L1
Last Five: 2-2-1
PSAC West Rank: T-2^nd of 8
Head Coach: Jessica Giegucz | 10^th season at SRU (100-46-23, .660)
 
LAST TIME OUT
Slippery Rock dropped a 3-1 decision to Pitt-Johnstown Oct. 16 at James Egli Field. Sophia Palermo's 26^th-minute goal gave The Rock a 1-0 lead that survived the first half, but three unanswered goals in the second half (47', 50', 71') granted Pitt-Johnstown its second win over SRU in program history.
 
Slippery Rock held the bulk of possession, winning decisive differences in shots (18-6), shots on goal (10-5) and corner kicks (9-0). Patrick picked up the assist for SRU on Palermo's goal that came on a corner kick.
 
LEADING THE ROCK
A dozen players have tallied points for The Rock, led by Patrick and Bailey McGee with 12 points each. McGee has piled up her 12 points on four goals and four assists, as Patrick leads SRU with eight assists in addition to her two goals. Sarver is Slippery Rock's leading goalscorer with all 10 of her points stemming from five goals.
 
Both Palermo and Maddie DeLucio have earned six points by way of two goals and two assists. Olivia Yoder has racked up four points on a goal and two assists, while Libby Zacharyasz's quartet of points has stemmed from two goals.
 
Skylar Munnikhuysen now has three points on the year from one goal and one assist. Ava Balazentis and Faith Diffenbacher have each recorded two points on the year with Balazentis' coming from two assists and Diffenbacher's from one goal.
 
Kierstyn Maxey and Sydney Smith round out the group of 12 players with points each with one point from one assist.
 
On top of being the team's leading goalscorer, Sarver leads SRU in shots with 29 and shots on goal with 12. Zacharyasz follows her with 27 shots, while DeLucio has put 12 of her 25 total shots on target. Palermo is the team's leader with 14 shots on goal, placing all four of her attempts on target against UPJ.
 
DeLucio, Sarver and Zacharyasz are the three players with at least 20 shots on the year, collectively accounting for 81 of The Rock's 197 shots this year (41.1 percent).
 
MORE ASSISTS FOR SYD
Patrick earned her team-leading eighth assist of the season by way of a corner kick that got to Palermo against UPJ, now tied for second in Division II with both 0.73 assists per game as well as eight total assists this year.
 
Patrick ranks second in the nation only behind Belmont Abbey College's Haley Long, who has 0.75 assists per game.
 
Patrick's efforts – accounting or eight of SRU's 23 assists (34.8 percent) – have bolstered The Rock to a team average of 1.9 assists per game. That ranks first in the PSAC and 19^th nationally.
 
Slippery Rock is one of just 15 Division II teams in the country that has registered 23 total assists on the year. The University of Charleston (32) and West Virginia State University (26) are the only other two Atlantic Region teams in that echelon.
 
A HUGE GAME FROM SOPHIA
On top of scoring her third career goal, Palermo also recorded a personal-best four shots on goal against Pitt-Johnstown by placing all four of her shot attempts on target. A sophomore from Wexford, Pennsylvania, Palermo has now put 77.8 percent of her shots on net this year (14-of-18).
 
After appearing in eight games last year for a total of 311 minutes, Palermo has started all 11 matches this season, already averaging 71.6 minutes per game, 788 minutes overall. 
 
A SOPHOMORE SPLASH
Palermo joins like likes of Balazentis and McGee in this year's sophomore group. The trio has contributed 20 points on six goals and eight assists, accounting for 29.9 percent of Slippery Rock's season tally.
 
Irene Doleno has also played in three games to represent the sophomore class, while Leah Allman has been putting together a solid second year as The Rock's starting goalkeeper.
 
A NEW FACE AT HOME
Maxey, a true freshman from Fairmont, West Virginia, made her James Egli Field debut against Pitt-Johnstown despite the contest being her sixth career appearance for The Rock. Maxey played 27 minutes against the Mountain Cats, coming off her first career point with an assist at Edinboro Sept. 25.
 
OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER
The Rock have now outshot their last three PSAC West opponents, amassing a 53-19 difference versus California (Pa.), Seton Hill University and UPJ. Those games also saw The Rock put up a cumulative 26-9 lead in shots on goal and a 24-5 advantage in corner kicks.
 
The Rock rank third in the PSAC with 16.4 shots per game, 38^th overall in Division II. Only Gannon University (21.8) and West Chester University (18.2) average more shots per game in the PSAC than Slippery Rock.
 
DEFENSE PUTTING IN THE WORK
SRU's defensive core four members in Diffenbacher, Smith, Zacharyasz and Nina King all played 90 minutes against Pitt-Johnstown, holding the Mountain Cats to just five shots on goal and six shot attempts in total.
 
On average, the Slippery Rock defensive third has limited opponents to 5.3 shots on net per game this year. In PSAC West competition, the opposition has averaged just 3.8 shots on goal per match. No PSAC West team has been able to place more than six shots on frame against Slippery Rock this season.
 
A CORNER KICK SHUTOUT
Not only did The Rock's defense limit Pitt-Johnstown's chances, but it disallowed any opportunities for a corner kick as well. Slippery Rock, which took a 9-0 advantage from the flags over UPJ, has not held its opponent to zero corner kicks in a game since a 2-1 win at IUP Oct. 21, 2023 – a span of 18 games.
 
On the year, Slippery Rock has averaged 6.4 corner kicks per game, ranking third in the PSAC behind Kutztown University (8.7) and Gannon (7.1). Through 12 matches, The Rock have built up a 76-39 difference in corner kicks.
 
TONS OF TIME IN NET
Only two goalkeepers in Division II have played more this season than Allman, who has started all 12 games and seen the dozen 90-minute outings through to completion. Allman ranks third in the nation behind Anneliese Becker of Mercy University and Katy Fitzler of Drury University, who have both spent 13 full games in the penalty box.
 
Allman, who owns a 2-1 career record against IUP, enters Saturday's matchup with a GAA of 1.08 and a save percentage of .776 on the season. She has made 45 saves through 12 matches, about 3.8 per game.
 
THE ROCK'S RANKED SUCCESS
Slippery Rock is playing a third nationally ranked opponent in the same season for the first time in eight years. The Rock hosted No. 22 West Virginia Wesleyan College, No. 3 East Stroudsburg University and No. 14 Kutztown, and traveled to No. 5 West Chester in 2016.
 
The Rock are 0-1-1 against ranked opponents this year, stunning No. 5 Gannon in a 1-1 draw before hanging tough with No. 4 Ashland University in a 1-0 loss. Slippery Rock also began the year by tying Shepherd University 1-1, a team that is now ranked 15^th.
 
A win over IUP would be Slippery Rock's fifth win over its last eight ranked opponents, most recently defeating No. 21 Mercyhurst University last year at James Egli Field in a 2-1 thriller.
 
The last time Slippery Rock played a ranked IUP side was in 2014, losing 1-0 to the No. 16 Crimson Hawks. The most recent time that Indiana was ranked and played at Slippery Rock was in a 2-1 win over the No. 16 Crimson Hawks in 2009.
 
ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END
Slippery Rock's 15-game unbeaten streak at James Egli Field came to a conclusion in the team's 3-1 loss to Pitt-Johnstown. The Rock rattled off a 9-0-6 record at James Egli Field dating back to 2022, a mark that includes an undefeated 7-0-2 year overall at home last year.
 
WHERE THEY STAND
Slippery Rock enters Saturday in a tie for second in the PSAC West with IUP, both of which have 17 points but with IUP playing one fewer conference game to this point than The Rock.
 
With five games remaining in the 2024 regular season, Slippery Rock holds a six-point cushion over Pitt-Johnstown, the highest-ranking squad in the PSAC West outside of the top four playoff-qualifying positions.
 
RECORD WATCH
Patrick and Sarver have both solidified themselves in the top 15 all-time in shots attempted. Sarver jumped past Rea for ninth place with 141 shots, while Patrick ranks 15^th with 117 total shot attempts.
 
With 56 points, Patrick is now tied for 17^th all-time with Lauren Steele. She is eight points out of the top 10, guarded by Jen Canucci and Beth Kimball with 64.
 
Allman stacks up eighth with 17 all-time wins, third with six career ties and 10^th with 10 total shutouts. Now with 31 career starts, the Olmsted Township, Ohio goalkeeper ranks eighth in school history, one start in net behind Sarah Lacy (2005-09).
 
THE CRIMSON HAWKS BY THE NUMBERS
Overall Record: 7-1-2
PSAC West Record: 5-1-2
Home Record: 3-1
Away Record: 3-0-2
PSAC West Rank: T-2^nd of 8
Streak: W2
Last Five: 3-1-1
Head Coach: Noreen Herlihy | Third season at IUP (17-14-14, .533)
 
INDIANA SCOUTING REPORT
The Crimson Hawks are on track for one of their best seasons in the last decade, coming into Saturday's fixture with a 7-1-2 record and a 5-1-2 mark in PSAC West competition. IUP's lone loss came in a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Edinboro Oct. 5. The Crimson Hawks were able to post a 0-0 draw against No. 7 Gannon and defeat SRU earlier this year, 3-0.
 
Hannah Scardina, who scored two of IUP's three goals against The Rock in that shutout victory, ranks sixth in the PSAC with 1.4 points per game. The Indiana, Pennsylvania local graduate student leads the Crimson Hawks with 14 points on six goals and two assists.
 
Makenna Yarrow has played all 10 games in net for Indiana, leading the PSAC with seven shutouts. Yarrow, who picked up one of those seven blank slates against The Rock, carries a GAA of 0.40 and a save percentage of .905 that ranks eighth in Division II.
 
IUP's visit to Slippery Rock also gives fans a chance to welcome IUP's head coach Noreen Herlihy back to The Rock. Herlihy was the Slippery Rock head coach from 1995-2014, amassing a program-best 250-113-30 record at The Rock. The 2017 SRU Athletics Hall of Fame inductee also received her master's degree from Slippery Rock in 2004.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Slippery Rock will conclude its final three-game homestand of the season 12 p.m. Oct. 26 against Clarion at James Egli Field. The Rock will celebrate Senior Day ahead of its matchup with the Golden Eagles, an opponent that SRU posted a 6-0 victory against earlier this year.





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