SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's soccer team controlled much of its home opener versus Seton Hill University but were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw Saturday at James Egli Field.
 
The tie moves Slippery Rock's overall record to 1-1-2, while The Rock stay undefeated in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division play at 1-0-1. The Griffins remain unbeaten on the year with a 2-0-2 mark, kicking off conference competition with an 0-0-1 showing.
 
Slippery Rock's 69^th-minute goal came about on a Seton Hill own goal despite The Rock outshooting the Griffins 27-6 on the day. After trailing by a goal for the next 19 minutes, Seton Hill broke SRU hearts by scoring on a free kick with 2:51 left in the game.
 
11 different players took shots for Slippery Rock, led by defender Libby Zacharyasz with six. Maddie DeLucio and Morgan Sarver both tallied four shots, while Jaime Dermotta brought three shots to the offense off the bench.
 
Faith Diffenbacher, Skylar Munnikhuysen and Sydney Patrick all contributed two shots while Nina King, Sophia Palermo, Lindsey Price and Sydney Smith each took a shot as well.
 
All three of Dermotta's shots were on target, leading that category with DeLucio placing two of her four looks on net.
 
Leah Allman made three saves in the contest, facing six Seton Hill shots.
 
The first half brought plenty of opportunities for Slippery Rock to score the game's first goal with the difference in shots through 45 minutes lopsided in SRU's favor, 17-1. Five of those shots and one of SRU's six first-half corner kicks all came within the game's opening 13 minutes.
 
SRU earned four corner kick opportunities between the 30^th and 34^th minutes but were turned aside by a Seton Hill defense that came into the game without allowing a goal on the season. That trend continued into halftime with the score level at 0-0.
 
Ava Balazentis looked to have pulled off an olimpico goal directly off her 69^th-minute corner, but saw it knocked into the back of the net by an SHU defender looking to clear the cross.
 
With a 1-0 lead, SRU found itself playing the most defense it had needed to through the remainder of the game.
 
Seton Hill broke away in The Rock's defensive third with less than three minutes left, pulled down by a tactical foul that gave the Griffins a free kick opportunity just inches outside the box. Mikayla Moyer was able to score on the 88^th-minute free kick, leveling the score at 1-1.
 
Slippery Rock won a corner kick with 12 seconds left but ran out of time in attempting to place a shot on frame.
 
In addition to the +21 shot margin, Slippery Rock held a 12-4 lead in shots on goal and an 11-2 tilt in corner kicks. Sydney Caldwell made 11 saves for the Griffins. No SHU player took more than one shot in the game.
 
Slippery Rock will hit the road for three straight games beginning with a 1 p.m. kickoff at Indiana University (Pa.) Sept. 21. The Rock swept the Crimson Hawks a year ago in a pair of one-goal wins.





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