SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's soccer team put on a defensive show under the lights of Mihalik-Thompson Stadium against fourth-ranked Ashland University, falling to the No. 4 Eagles in a 1-0 non-conference duel Wednesday.
 
The Rock see their four-game undefeated streak come to a close, now 4-3-3 on the year with a 4-1-2 record in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division. The Eagles, who have not lost an unranked regular season games in 39 contests following their 1-0 win, are now 8-1-1 overall and 5-0-1 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
 
Slippery Rock took four shots against Ashland with four different players: Jaime Dermotta, Maddie DeLucio, Skylar Munnikhuysen and Morgan Sarver.
 
Leah Allman made a personal-best seven saves for the third time in her career, facing 22 shots.
 
While their work will not be magnified in the box score, Slippery Rock's defensive third saw Faith Diffenbacher, Irene Doleno, Nina King, Sydney Smith and Libby Zacharyasz stand up to perhaps their biggest tests in an SRU uniform yet by helping limit the Eagles to just one goal.
 
Ashland, which returned much of its talent from last year's squad that ranked first nationally for six straight weeks, was also held scoreless through the opening half despite a 9-1 lead in shots through 45 minutes of play.
 
The Eagles peppered Allman with seven shots in the first 16 minutes but were gradually slowed down by The Rock. Slippery Rock got its best scoring chance of the game in the 25^th minute on a shot from DeLucio that deflected off an AU player mere feet in front of an open net.
 
SRU continued to defend well through the opening period, limiting Ashland to just two shots in the final 29 minutes of the first half.
 
Ashland converted its eighth shot of the second half in the 57^th minute to score the game-winning goal. Dani Hicks sent a shot in from the corner of the box that Allman saved, but McKinley Mendenhall was there to pick up the rebound in front of a congested net. She was able to one-time it in, also giving Hicks the assist on the bang-bang play.
 
That goal did not discourage the SRU defense or Allman, who made three more saves to keep Slippery Rock within striking distance. Ashland's 1-0 lead was put to the test late when Munnikhuysen had the last touch on a great play by Sophia Palermo through traffic with 1:06 left in the game.
 
Mackenzie Simon made the save for AU, warranting a corner kick that The Rock got off with 16 seconds left. Ashland's defense, which has allowed just five goals this year – three of which coming in an exhibition with Ohio State University – was able to turn SRU aside for the fourth and final time to escape with a 1-0 win.
 
Ashland additionally left Mihalik-Thompson Stadium with leads in shots (22-4), shots on goal (8-1) and corner kicks (8-4). Hicks took eight of AU's 22 shots with two landing on frame. Simon made the late-game save for Ashland after relieving starting keeper Maddie Dolenga at halftime.
 
Slippery Rock will begin its second half of PSAC West competition 12 p.m. Saturday at Seton Hill University.





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