SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — The Slippery Rock University men's soccer team will play its first road game in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division competition by traveling to California (Pa.) 1 p.m. Saturday.
 
The Rock are hoping to hop back above .500, entering with a 2-2-2 overall record that includes a recent 0-0-1 start to conference play. The Vulcans will also be looking for their first PSAC West win, owning a 2-4-2 mark on the season and a 0-2 showing in league action.
 
GAME 7 of 16
Opponent: California (Pa.)
Date: Saturday – 1 p.m.
Location: California, Pennsylvania
Venue: Phillipsburg Soccer Facility
Live Stats: California (Pa.) Athletic Communication
In-game Updates: X (@Rock_Athletics)
All-Time Series: SRU leads, 25-23-3
Current Streak: W1
Last Played: Oct. 18, 2023 (SRU won, 3-0)
 
TOP ACTIVE SRU CAREER STATS vs. CALIFORNIA
Arturo Pla Hernandis – 9 points: 4 goals, 1 assist, 16 shots, 9 SOG (6 GP)
Shaun Spencer – 5 points: 2 goals, 1 assist, 3 shots, 2 SOG (4 GP)
Aitor Jorde – 4 points: 1 goal, 2 assists, 4 shots, 2 SOG (2 GP)
Luke Gildea – 2 points: 1 goal, 8 shots, 5 SOG (5 GP)
Adam Davies – (2-1-0), 0.67 GAA, 7 saves on 24 SF (3 GP)
 
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday will see the 52^nd all-time meeting between The Rock and the Vulcans, a matchup that has been played at least once per season since 1984. Slippery Rock holds a slight 25-23-3 lead in the series, losing to the Vulcans just twice in the last 10 years.
 
SRU has gone 12-2-1 against Cal since 2013, with all three non-winning results coming on the road. California has defended home turf well, going 13-9-1 when hosting The Rock. The two sides have split the last four games played at Cal.
 
Both home teams won their respective PSAC West contests last year with Cal taking a 2-1 win at home Sept. 27, 2023. The Vulcans tallied two quick goals in the 47^th and 50^th minutes to go up 2-0, fending off a Slippery Rock squad that got one back when Gabin Lonjard headed in a Shaun Spencer free kick in the 79^th minute.
 

TEAM COMPARISON
The Rock	Stats	Cal (Pa.)
2-2-2	Overall Record	2-4-2
0-0-1	PSAC West Record	0-2
1.3	Goals per Game	0.6
1.3	Opp. Goals per Game	1.0
0	Season Goal Differential	-3
13.3	Shots per Game	6.6
9.5	Opp. Shots per Game	10.1
5.7	SOG per Game	3.0
4.5	Opp. SOG per Game	4.6
0.7	Assists per Game	0.8
6.7	Corners per Game	4.5
11.7	Fouls per Game	12.4
3.2	Saves per Game	3.6

 
THE ROCK BY THE NUMBERS
Overall Record: 2-2-2
PSAC West Record: 0-0-1
Home Record: 0-1-2
Away Record: 2-1
PSAC West Rank: 4^th of 6
Streak: D1
Head Coach: Kevin Wilhelm | Seventh season at SRU (32-50-14)
Roster: Link
Stats: Link
 
LAST TIME OUT
Slippery Rock secured the highest-ranked win or tie in head coach Kevin Wilhelm's career by playing No. 15 Gannon University to a 1-1 draw Oct. 2 at James Egli Field.
 
The Golden Knights got on the board early with a sixth-minute goal but went down a man with a red card in the 29^th minute. That allowed SRU to play an increased level of offense, breaking through to score off the foot of Luke Gildea in the 56^th minute. Ignacio Rullan tallied the assist, sending the team captain a cross to the far post.
 
The Rock paced play for the remainder of the 90 minutes, earning a 17-7 lead in shots and a 14-0 difference in corner kicks by the end of the game.
 
LEADING THE ROCK
Colton Swanson's six points from two goals and two assists still remain at the top of the team's statistics, while both Gildea and Aaron Finney now have four points on the year from two goals.
 
Aitor Jorde and Arturo Pla Hernandis have each scored once to record two points. Rullan and Jack Smith round out the seven players with points through six games, each with one assist.
 
Behind Swanson's 15 shots, Jorde (13) and Pla Hernandis (10) have combined for 23 of the team's 80 total shots, 28.8 percent of SRU's offensive production. Jorde has also placed six shots on target, second only to Swanson's 10.
 
Gildea and Rasmus Fugl round out the top five in shots, both having seen nine total looks. Gildea has placed four of his attempts on net, while Fugl has seen his shots land on target twice.
 
A MASSIVE POINT FOR THE TABLE
Slippery Rock's 1-1 draw with No. 15 Gannon marked its first game of PSAC West play this year, starting league action with a 0-0-1 record.
 
While there are still nine conference games remaining on SRU's regular season calendar, taking a point off GU could prove critical down the stretch. The Golden Knights placed seventh in Division II in the 2024 United Soccer Coaches preseason poll, coming off a 2023 campaign that featured a 9-0-1 mark inside the PSAC West.
 
Slippery Rock's last win or tie against a team ranked as high as Gannon came in the 2013 PSAC Championship game. The Rock defeated No. 13 Mercyhurst University in a 3-2 thriller to win the conference title.
 
RAINING DOWN CORNER KICKS
Slippery Rock took 14 corner kicks against Gannon this week, the most corners the SRU men's soccer team has taken in a single game since Oct. 6, 2012 in a 0-0 overtime draw at East Stroudsburg University – a span of 193 games.
 
The Rock rank second in the 12-team conference with 6.7 corner kicks per game, second only to Gannon's 7.6.
 
DEFENSE GETTING IT DONE
Slippery Rock's defense, led by Lonjard, Rullan, Spencer, Colton Spence and Jeroen Van Der Veen, held a highly ranked Gannon offense to just seven shots, the best defensive stance Gannon has run into since being eliminated from the NCAA Tournament last year by eventual champions Franklin Pierce University.
 
Additionally, The Rock stymied the GU offense to muster only one shot on goal through the 90-minute contest. SRU became the first side to hold Gannon to one shot on goal since since Millersville University defeated the Golden Knights 2-0 in the 2021 PSAC Championship Final.
 
THE OFFENSE IS PLAYING WELL, TOO
In addition to ranking well in corner kicks, Slippery Rock is sixth in the PSAC with 13.3 shots per game and seventh with 5.7 shots on goal per game.
 
The Rock have outshot their opponents in four of their six games this year and have amassed an 80-57 difference in shots throughout the season. SRU has led in shots on goal in each of those four games as well, putting together a 34-27 margin on the year.
 
A TURNAROUND IN SHOTS
SRU was held to a season-low four shots against Roberts Wesleyan University Sept. 25 but clearly put that game in the rearview mirror moving forward by posting a +10 shot margin over a nationally ranked Gannon squad a week later.
 
When the RWU contest is discounted, Slippery Rock has outshot its opponents by a 76-42 difference through five games, getting outshot only one other time – a 9-8 edge in a 1-0 loss at Walsh University Sept. 11.
 
BETWEEN THE PIPES
Despite not needing to make a save to come away with a point against the Golden Knights, Adam Davies picked up his first tie against a nationally ranked team in net. The senior goaltender heads to California (Pa.) with a 1.33 GAA and a .704 save percentage.
 
Davies claimed his second career shutout against the Vulcans the last time SRU played Cal, making one save on eight shots faced Oct. 18, 2023 in a 3-0 win at James Egli Field. A blank slate Saturday would mark the fourth shutout of Davies' career and the third against the Vulcans.
 
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Slippery Rock is looking to keep a 2-1 away record above .500 when it returns to the road Saturday. SRU's last away game resulted in a 5-1 victory at Shippensburg University Sept. 21.
 
A win Saturday would give SRU its first 3-1 start to the year in away games since The Rock went 8-0-2 as visitors in the 2013 PSAC Championship-winning season.
 
RECORD WATCH
Now in his senior year, Pla Hernandis has the opportunity to rise through the program's top 20 in multiple different statistical categories. With 63 shots on goal, he currently ranks fourth in school history, just one shot on target behind Toby Bowser (2007-10) for third all-time.
 
A native of Beniparrell, Spain, Pla Hernandis has taken sole possession of sixth place all-time with 135 total shots. Six more shots will put Pla Hernandis in a tie for fifth with Jack Jarvie (1955-58).
 
Pla Hernandis is tied for 17^th with 22 career goals. Two players are tied for 15^th with 23 goals while Matt Thompson guards 14^th all-time with 25 goals.
 
THE VULCANS BY THE NUMBERS
Overall Record: 2-4-2
PSAC West Record: 0-2
Home Record: 2-0-2
Away Record: 0-4
2023 PSAC West Rank: T-5^th of 6
Streak: L1
Last Five: 1-3-1
Head Coach: Emedin Sabic | 11^th season at California (56-101-18, .371)
Roster: Link
Stats: Link
 
CALIFORNIA SCOUTING REPORT
While Cal is seeking its first PSAC West win of the year (0-2), the Vulcans are also looking to keep a four-game undefeated streak at home alive (2-0-2). The Vulcans most recently played West Chester University, last year's PSAC runner-up, to a 1-1 draw at the Phillipsburg Soccer Facility Sept. 28.
 
Cal needed an equalizer from Max Llado, who scored with just 20 seconds left in the game to prohibit the Golden Rams from claiming victory. That goal was also Cal's only goal in its last three games, coming off 1-0 losses to Malone University and Seton Hill University.
 
Brady Olsen is the team's lone player with more than two points, registering one goal and one assist on the year. The junior from Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania has taken six shots, two of which have gone on target.
 
California has played two different goalkeepers on the year with the majority of the time in net served by sophomore Kiernan Webb. The Philadelphia native has made 24 saves on the year, coming in with a 0.92 GAA and an .800 save percentage.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Slippery Rock will return home for two more home games beginning with a PSAC West fixture 4 p.m. Oct. 9 against Lock Haven University at James Egli Field.





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