SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — The Slippery Rock University men's soccer team will play its final road game of the regular season with a trip to Lock Haven University 3 p.m. Wednesday.
 
Both teams enter Wednesday's fixture as winners in four of their last five matches. The Rock bring a 6-4-3 overall record that includes a 3-2-2 mark in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division, while the Bald Eagles will look to defend both home turf and their 8-5-1 record on the year. LHU is 5-2 in PSAC West action.
 
WATCH LIVE
Fans can watch Wednesday's game live for free via the links below provided by Lock Haven Athletic Communications.
 
GAME 14 of 16
Opponent: Lock Haven
Date: Wednesday – 3 p.m.
Location: Lock Haven, Pennsylvania  
Venue: Hubert Jack Stadium
Live Video: PSAC Sports Digital Network
Live Stats: Lock Haven Athletic Communications
In-game Updates: X (@Rock_Athletics)
All-Time Series: 32-37-6
Current Streak: L3
Last Played: Oct. 9, 2024 at SRU (LHU won, 1-0)
 
TOP ACTIVE SRU CAREER STATS vs. LOCK HAVEN
Aitor Jorde – 6 shots, 3 SOG (2 GP)
Arturo Pla Hernandis – 6 shots, 2 SOG (3 GP)
Rasmus Fugl – 3 shots, 2 SOG (1 GP)
Aashi Pandher – 2 shots, 1 SOG (2 GP)
Adam Davies – (0-2), 1.00 GAA, 7 saves on 17 SF (2 GP)
 
SERIES HISTORY
Slippery Rock will be playing Lock Haven for the 76^th time in program history and the second time in the same season for the first time since 2009. Lock Haven owns a slight 37-32-6 all-time lead in the series, looking for its fourth consecutive victory against The Rock.
 
The Bald Eagles similarly hold a narrow 20-17-1 lead at home versus Slippery Rock, with SRU's last overall win over LHU coming by way of a 1-0 win on the road in 2019.
 
Slippery Rock dropped a 1-0 decision to Lock Haven Oct. 9 at home despite outshooting the Bald Eagles, 15-8. LHU's Connor Rosno converted a 1-on-1 chance against Adam Davies in the 78^th minute to give the Bald Eagles the win. Arturo Pla Hernandis led The Rock with five of SRU's 15 total shots with two landing on target.
 

TEAM COMPARISON
The Rock	Stats	Lock Haven
6-4-3	Overall Record	8-5-1
3-2-2	Conference Record	5-2
1.6	Goals per Game	1.5
1.5	Opp. Goals per Game	1.2
+2	Season Goal Differential	+4
12.6	Shots per Game	13.1
10.2	Opp. Shots per Game	11.4
5.5	SOG per Game	5.9
5.0	Opp. SOG per Game	5.0
1.4	Assists per Game	1.4
6.4	Corners per Game	4.7
11.3	Fouls per Game	12.7
3.5	Saves per Game	3.8

 
THE ROCK BY THE NUMBERS
Overall Record: 6-4-3
PSAC West Record: 3-2-2
Home Record: 2-2-2
Away Record: 4-2-1
PSAC West Rank: 4^th of 6
Streak: W1
Last Five: 4-1
Head Coach: Kevin Wilhelm | Seventh season at SRU (36-52-15)
Roster: Link
Stats: Link
 
LAST TIME OUT
Slippery Rock posted a 2-0 shutout over Pitt-Johnstown on Senior Day Oct. 26, utilizing a pair of late goals from Rasmus Fugl (78') and Jacob Glancy (85') to snatch the victory. Jack Smith and Shaun Spencer both secured assists in the game in which SRU outshot the Mountain Cats, 20-8.
 
The Rock outshot Pitt-Johnstown 11-2 through the first half but failed to find the back of the net. On the flipside, The Rock defended six unanswered shots from UPJ to open the second half, taking the next nine total shots that included the two scoring plays.
 
Fugl slotted his goal in on the run, one-timing a pass in the right of the penalty box from Smith. Glancy netted his insurance goal by knocking in a corner kick by Spencer. Davies tallied half a dozen saves for The Rock in net, while Pla Hernandis led SRU with four shots.
 
LEADING THE ROCK
Aitor Jorde has tallied a team-high nine points on a well-rounded three goals and three assists. Pla Hernandis serves as Slippery Rock's leading goalscorer with four, producing all eight of his points with goals.
 
Fugl, Aaron Finney and Colton Swanson have all recorded six points. While Swanson netted his six points on two goals and two assists in the first four games of the year, Finney and Fugl have both scored three times.
 
Luke Gildea and Ignacio Rullan are tied with five points on the year, with Gildea earning his five points on two goals and one assist and Rullan lending five assists to The Rock.
 
Spencer's four points have stemmed from one goal and two assists, while Smith's three points have come from a trio of assists. Glancy, Will Harrigan and Colton Spence round out the 10 different goalscorers for SRU with one apiece, while Ryan Hanes and Aashi Pandher have each registered one assist this year.
 
Jorde has totaled a squad-best 29 shots this year ahead of 26 from Pla Hernandis and 23 from Fugl. That trio has combined for 78 of SRU's 164 shots on the year, 47.6 percent. Pla Hernandis leads Slippery Rock with 13 shots on goal.
 
BOUNCING BACK IN THE "W" COLUMN
With its rebound victory over Pitt-Johnstown, The Rock have won four out of five consecutive games for the first time in five years.
 
SRU posted three straight 1-0 wins over Mercyhurst University, Seton Hill University and California (Pa.) before falling to the Mercyhurst Lakers, 1-0 and rebounding with a 3-0 win at Pitt-Johnstown between Oct. 23-Nov. 6, 2019.
 
A win over Lock Haven would give SRU five wins in a set of six matches for the first time since finishing the 2015 PSAC Championship-winning season on a five-game winning streak.
 
MORE LATE-GAME DRAMA
Slippery Rock's last four victories have all been results from goals tallied in the final 12 minutes of the matches. Fugl, who has scored three goals on the year in total, has accounted for two of the last four game-winning goals.
 
Recent SRU game-winners (time of goal)
Finney vs. Shepherd (84') – Final: 2-1
Fugl at Pitt-Johnstown (79') – Final: 2-1
Pla Hernandis at Seton Hill (80') – Final: 4-3
Fugl vs. Pitt-Johnstown (78') – Final: 2-0
 
ONE SHOT, ONE GOAL
Glancy came away from SRU's 2-0 win against UPJ with his first career goal on his first shot attempt with Slippery Rock.
 
The sophomore midfielder from Eighty Four, Pennsylvania made his fourth career appearance by putting in a 12-minute shift for The Rock, connecting on a corner kick from Spencer with 5:47 remaining to extend SRU's lead to 2-0.
 
Glancy has played 53 career minutes with SRU through four matches this year, also spending time on the pitch against Shippensburg University, Roberts Wesleyan University and Seton Hill.
 
10 DIFFERENT GOALSCORERS
With Glancy's goal against Pitt-Johnstown, The Rock have found goals from a total of 10 different players for the first time in three years. SRU used 10 unique goalscorers to amass 27 goals in the 2021 season.
 
So far on the year, Slippery Rock has totaled 21 goals from its 10 players with six of those players scoring at least two goals. The Rock saw seven different players score at least one goal in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
 
ADAM CLEANS THE SHEET
Davies earned his fourth career shutout – and his second of the year – by making six saves against Pitt-Johnstown, improving his GAA to 1.46 on the year. With 3.5 saves per game, Davies now ranks fifth in the PSAC.
 
The senior goaltender will head into Lock Haven with a .708 save percentage through 13 games this season.
 
STAUNCH DEFENSE
SRU's defense, which consisted of Harrigan, Smith, Spence, Spencer and Gabin Lonjard versus Pitt-Johnstown, aided in the team's first shutout since Slippery Rock's season-opening 1-0 win at D'Youville University.
 
Slippery Rock's defensive third limited its opponent to eight shots – the fewest in five games, and six shots on goal – the fewest in four outings.
 
Additionally, Pitt-Johnstown was allowed just one corner in the match. That marks the fewest allowed corners by SRU's defense in 34 matches, dating back to a 2-2 draw at Pitt-Johnstown Oct. 15, 2022 in which The Rock took nine of the game's 10 corners kicks.
 
CORNER CONSISTENCY
Five of Slippery Rock's last 11 goals have come on converted corner kicks. The Rock have done well to win these chances, ranking second in the PSAC and 11^th nationwide in Division II with 6.4 corner kicks per game.
 
The Rock have increased their season-total difference in corner kicks to 83-58, taking more corners than their opponents in two of their last three contests.
 
THE ROCK ON THE ROAD
Regardless of Wednesday's outcome, Slippery Rock has ensured its first winning record on regular-season away games in 10 years – since recording a 5-3 mark on the road in 2014.
 
Slippery Rock heads into Wednesday's matchup, the final away game of the 2024 regular season, with a 4-2-1 record in away games. Prior to last week's loss at No. 12 Gannon University, SRU went unbeaten on the road for five straight games.
 
WHERE THEY STAND
While Slippery Rock sits two points outside the PSAC Tournament cut line with three games remaining, The Rock do still control their own destiny with the opportunity to win out. SRU's season concludes with two home games against Cal Saturday and Seton Hill Nov. 8. The third and final seed in the PSAC Tournament will likely come down to be either SRU or SHU.
 
That said, The Rock will be invested in the result of Wednesday's matchup between Seton Hill and Gannon 1 p.m. in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. A Golden Knights victory paired with an SRU win over Lock Haven would move The Rock ahead of the Griffins headed into the last two matches of the season.
 
Even if that does not pan out, Slippery Rock cannot be mathematically eliminated from postseason contention Wednesday.
 
RECORD WATCH
Now in his senior year, Pla Hernandis continues to rise through the ranks in several different school records. The true nine ranks just inside the top five all-time with 151 total shots and third with 73 shots on goal. Jorde remains 14^th all-time with 32 shots on goal.
 
Pla Hernandis also tied former SRU head coach Matt Thompson for 14^th with 25 career goals this week. Next in the record book is Blair Gerlach (1997-99) with 27 goals in 13^th.
 
In net, Davies is now one appearance away from moving into a tie for eighth all-time with 32 career starts.
 
If Pla Hernandis starts against UPJ, he will tie Anthony Werth for 17^th all-time with 60 career appearances in the starting 11.
 
THE BALD EAGLES BY THE NUMBERS
Overall Record: 3-9-1
PSAC West Record: 0-5-1
Home Record: 2-6
Away Record: 1-3-1
PSAC West Rank: 2^nd of 6
Streak: L1
Last Five: 4-1
Head Coach: Patrick Long | Eighth season at Lock Haven (63-58-19, .518)
Roster: Link
Stats: Link
 
LOCK HAVEN SCOUTING REPORT
The Bald Eagles will clinch a berth in the PSAC Tournament with a win over Slippery Rock. A draw would certainly benefit LHU but would not officially secure the Bald Eagles a playoff position.
 
LHU most recently saw its four-game winning streak come to an end at the hands of a 2-0 road loss at Seton Hill. The Bald Eagles outshot the Griffins 12-9 but succumbed to a pair of goals in the 41^st and 66^th minutes of the game.
 
Connor Swope, who scored the game-winner against SRU earlier this year, ranks fourth in the PSAC with 1.2 points per game. The senior from Dillsburg, Pennsylvania leads the Bald Eagles with 17 points on five goals and seven assists.
 
True freshman Ethan Beck is the goalkeeper The Rock saw once already this season. Having played in some capacity in every game since then, the Lancaster, Pennsylvania native enters Wednesday's rematch against Slippery Rock with a 1.36 GAA and a .735 save percentage.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Slippery Rock's season will conclude with back-to-back home games, first hosting California Saturday at James Egli Field, where kickoff is scheduled for noon.





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