JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's soccer team earned its maiden win of the year by handing Pitt-Johnstown its first loss of 2024 in a 3-0 shutout victory Wednesday at Richland High School.
 
The Rock improve to 1-1-1 overall, beginning Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division play with a 1-0 record. The Mountain Cats fall to 2-1 on the year and 0-1 in PSAC West action.
 
Slippery Rock's win came about with goals from Maddie DeLucio, Morgan Sarver and Libby Zacharyasz. Sydney Patrick assisted twice in the effort while Ava Balazentis notched the first assist of her career in just her second game appearance.  
 
SRU drew on 10 different players to take shots in the win as well, led by Sarver with four total attempts and two shots on target. Zacharyasz's goal was her lone shot on frame in three attempts, while DeLucio placed both of her looks on net.
 
Bailey McGee found herself with two shots. Patrick, Jaime Dermotta, Faith Diffenbacher, Kierstyn Maxey, Lindsey Price and Sydney Smith each contributed one shot as well.
 
Leah Allman was pressured at multiple points in the contest, making five saves to sure up her seventh career shutout in just her 22^nd game.
 
Fans did not have to wait long to see the 0-0 deadlock wiped from the scoreboard, as DeLucio put SRU up 1-0 just 3:51 into the game. After Sarver saw her shot deflected off both the keeper and the crossbar, The Rock utilized a fourth-minute corner kick from Patrick, who allowed DeLucio to score on a header.
 
The Rock doubled their lead in the 29^th minute when Sarver beat a defender in a race to a through ball delivered by Balazentis. Sarver was able to one-time the ball past the UPJ keeper to lift Slippery Rock to a 2-0 advantage.
 
SRU nearly found its third goal of the game with 14 seconds left in the half, seeing a corner kick tipped away. On top of the 2-0 lead that The Rock had built, Slippery Rock outshot UPJ through the first half, 7-2.
 
The Rock were quick to get on offense in the second half, narrowly missing out on a scoring chance in the 50^th minute. DeLucio sent a strike that hit the crossbar, rebounding to Maxey who saw a potential first career goal snuffed by a diving save.
 
Pitt-Johnstown strung together four shots and a corner kick between the 58^th and 60^th minutes but ran into four of Allman's five saves on the day.
 
Slippery Rock's search for a third goal continued in the 70^th minute when Smith looked to have capitalized on a misplayed ball by UPJ goalkeeper Emma Morin. The ball wound up just wide right, keeping a 2-0 difference on the board.
 
SRU recaptured some of its set piece magic that granted the game's opening goal when it had a corner kick opportunity with just three minutes remaining in the match. No one came down with possession on the 88^th-minute corner from Patrick, letting Zacharyasz to tap the ball into a wide-open net put The Rock up by three goals.
 
The Rock did not allow a Pitt-Johnstown opportunity in the final couple of minutes, cruising to their first win of the season in shutout fashion.
 
Slippery Rock left Pitt-Johnstown with a 17-10 lead in shots, a 7-5 edge in shots on goal and an 8-3 advantage in corner kicks. Morin made four saves for the Mountain Cats while UPJ's offense was led by Rylee Fry's four shots.
 
SRU will open the gates to James Egli Field for the first time in 2024 as The Rock host Seton Hill University 12 p.m. Saturday in the team's annual Mental Health Awareness Game.  





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