SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Camryn Whipple scored the game-winning goal with 1:18 left in overtime to lift the Slippery Rock University women's lacrosse team to an 8-7 victory over Mercyhurst University Friday evening in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division contest from Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
 
The Rock extend their current winning streak to four straight games and improve to 8-2 overall and 4-1 in PSAC West action with the victory. The 8-2 record marks the fourth-best start to a season in program history. Mercyhurst, which announced Thursday it will move to Division I next year, drops to 2-7 overall and 1-4 in PSAC games.
 
Slippery Rock never trailed in the game Friday, but had to fight off a late surge from the Lakers. The Rock led 5-2 at halftime before being outscored 3-1 in the third quarter to take a 6-5 lead into the final period in regulation.
 
Mercyhurst tied the game at 6-6 with 6:07 to play, but SRU responded to retake the lead when Lauren Searles tallied a goal with 4:54 to play.
 
After the Lakers took a yellow card with under two minutes to play, it looked like SRU would be able to hold the ball to run out the clock in regulation, but The Rock turned the ball over with an unforced error near the top of the attacking zone. Mercyhurst leading scorer Whitley Easton picked up the ground ball and went coast-to-coast for a breakaway man-down goal with 24 seconds left to tie the game at 7-7.

SRU won the next draw control and had a chance at a desperation free position shot with one second left, but could not convert.
 
The Lakers won the opening draw in the extra session and managed to get two shots off, but could not find the back of the net. Slippery Rock won the second draw control after the teams changed sides and set up the winning play with a man-up opportunity. Whipple took a pass on the left side, spun around a defender and walked in on goal before scoring over the goalies left shoulder with 1:18 left in the OT period.
 
It marked The Rock's second overtime win during the current four-game winning streak, third overtime game this season and fourth game that has been decided by one goal.
 
Both goalies were stellar for stretches in the game and finished with double digit saves. Gillian O'Rourke made eight saves in the first half and finished with 12 saves to pick up the victory to improve to 8-2 this season for SRU. Mercyhurst's Paige Maneri kept her team in the game all day and finished with 14 saves.
 
Whipple and Searles led Slippery Rock with three points each with Whipple scoring one goal and handing out two assists and Searles tallying two goals and handing out one assist. Rachel Mahoney and Brooke Wisniewski each scored two goals to round out the players with multiple points. Wisniewski also had a free position goal disallowed for a stick violation. Isabella Buono capped the scoring with one goal.
 
Hailey Ohlsen and Amelia Nitsche both recorded two caused turnovers and Charleigh Rondeau grabbed 10 draw controls.
 
Mercyhurst was paced by Emma Cimino with a hat trick and Ellie Schau and Easton with two goals each.
 
Slippery Rock finished the game with advantages of 32-24 in shots, 13-8 in draw controls and 13-11 in caused turnovers while going 15-of-17 on clear attempts. The Lakers managed a 27-23 edge in ground balls and were 16-of-22 on the clear.
 
The Rock now sit in a three-way tie for first place in the PSAC West with Lock Haven and Seton Hill both owning 4-1 division records as well. Those three teams are all 1-1 against each other with SRU beating Lock Haven and losing to Seton Hill and LHU defeating Seton Hill. SRU will close out the first round of divisional play next Wednesday with a 4 p.m. game at Edinboro.
 
 
 

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