SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — The Slippery Rock University women's soccer team will begin its second three-game road trip of September with a 1 p.m. kickoff Saturday at Indiana University (Pa.).
 
The Rock will look to improve upon a 1-1-2 overall record and a 1-0-1 mark in Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Play. The Crimson Hawks are one of six remaining PSAC teams that are still undefeated, entering the weekend 2-0-1 on the year and 1-0-1 within the PSAC.
 
WATCH LIVE
Fans can watch Saturday's game live for free via the links below provided by Indiana University (Pa.) Athletic Communications. 
 
GAME 5 of 17
Opponent: Indiana (Pa.)
Date: Saturday – 1 p.m.
Location: Indiana, Pennsylvania
Venue: South Campus Field
Live Video: PSAC Sports Digital Network
Live Stats: IUP Athletic Communications
In-game Updates: X (@Rock_Athletics)
All-Time Series: Slippery Rock leads, 24-17-4
Current Streak: Slippery Rock W2
Last Played: Oct. 21, 2023 (SRU won, 2-1)
 
TOP ACTIVE SRU CAREER STATS vs. INDIANA (Pa.)
Sydney Patrick – 7 points: 2 goals, 3 assists, 10 shots, 4 SOG (6 GP)
Libby Zacharyasz – 6 points: 3 goals, 11 shots, 8 SOG (4 GP)
Morgan Sarver – 2 points: 1 goal, 9 shots, 5 SOG (4 GP)
Maddie DeLucio – 8 shots, 4 SOG (3 GP)
Leah Allman – (2-0), 1.50 GAA, 2 saves on 14 SF
 
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday will mark the 46^th all-time meeting between The Rock and the Crimson Hawks. SRU holds a 24-17-4 lead in the series, looking to an extend a seven-game unbeaten streak of 5-0-2.
 
IUP is just one game above .500 when hosting The Rock, accumulating an 11-10-2 mark at home. Slippery Rock is 2-0-1 in its last three trips to Indiana, not having lost since a 2-1 defeat in 2019.
 
Both matchups between the two clubs last year were decided by one goal, with Slippery Rock earning a 3-2 win at home and a 2-1 road victory.
 
All five goals in the 3-2 matchup were scored in the first half Sept. 16, 2023 at James Egli Field. At IUP Oct. 21, 2023, the Crimson Hawks tallied a 16^th minute score before allowing Libby Zacharyasz to equalize in the 75^th minute and pick up the game winner with just 34 seconds left in the game.
 

TEAM COMPARISON
The Rock	Stats	IUP
1-1-2	Overall Record	2-0-1
1-0-1	Conference Record	1-0-1
1.3	Goals per Game	1.3
1.0	Opp. Goals per Game	0.3
+1	Season Goal Differential	+3
16.0	Shots per Game	15.0
13.3	Opp. Shots per Game	9.0
7.3	SOG per Game	6.0
6.3	Opp. SOG per Game	4.0
1.0	Assists per Game	0.0
5.5	Corners per Game	3.0
7.5	Fouls per Game	12.3
5.3	Saves per Game	3.7

 
THE ROCK BY THE NUMBERS
Overall Record: 1-1-2
PSAC West Record: 1-0-1
Home Record: 0-0-1
Away Record: 1-1-1
Streak: D1
PSAC West Rank: T-2^nd of 8
Head Coach: Jessica Giegucz | 10^th season at SRU (96-43-22, .665)
Roster: Link
Stats: Link
 
LAST TIME OUT
Despite picking up a point, Slippery Rock was dealt a heartbreaker of a 1-1 draw versus Seton Hill University Sept. 14.
 
The Rock dominated the first half with a 17-1 advantage in shots but could not find the back of the net. SRU benefitted from a 69^th-minute own goal before the Griffins had the last say by scoring on a free kick with 2:51 remaining.
 
Slippery Rock concluded the game with a lead in shots (27-6), shots on goal (12-4) and corner kicks (11-2).
 
LEADING THE ROCK
Sydney Patrick continues to sit atop Slippery Rock's points tally with four, stemming from one goal and two assists. Zacharyasz, Maddie DeLucio and Morgan Sarver all have one goal this season, while Ava Balazentis and Sydney Smith are owners of one point from one assists.
 
Zacharyasz has excelled to the top of the charts in Slippery Rock's shot-taking with 11, two of which have landed on target. Sarver has placed three of her nine total shots on frame, and DeLucio has gone 4-for-8 in shot accuracy.
 
Jaime Dermotta has consistently been one of SRU's most efficient shooters, a trend that has carried over into 2024. The senior from Rillton, Pennsylvania has put five of her seven shots on goal.
 
Patrick ranks fifth on the team in shots but is tied for second in shots on goal, with four of her six shot opportunities finding the net. Faith Diffenbacher and Olivia Yoder have both taken four shots this year.
 
Smith, Skylar Munnikhuysen and Sophia Palermo all have three shots to their names, while Bailey McGee and Lindsey Price both have two. Nina King and Kierstyn Maxey round out the 14 unique shot-takers with one.
 
TOP DEFENDER OF THE WEEK
It did not take long for Slippery Rock to pick up a PSAC weekly award in 2024. Zacharyasz was named the PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week Sept. 16, her third time winning the award.
 
Zacharyasz helped Slippery Rock to its 1-0-1 start in PSAC West play, scoring against Pitt-Johnstown in a 3-0 win and leading the team with six shots through its 1-1 draw versus Seton Hill University. Overall, the defensive midfielder wrapped up the week with one goal and nine total shots, two of which landed on target.
 
With the honor, Zacharyasz became the fourth recorded SRU women's soccer student-athlete to win a PSAC weekly award at least three times. The Strongsville, Ohio native joined Emma Yoder with 12, Rachel Edge with five and Sarah Arsenault with three PSAC weekly selections. She was named to the award twice last year.
 
Zacharyasz scored the third and final goal of SRU's 3-0 win at Pitt-Johnstown, tapping in a loose ball off a corner in the 88^th minute.
 
Against Seton Hill, Zacharyasz set a personal record by leading the team with a career-high six shots. The Rock tied the Griffins, 1-1, despite a 27-6 advantage in shots.
 
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
Slippery Rock's tough road slate will restart Saturday as the team begins its second set of three straight road games in September. SRU's 2024 schedule begins with six of its first seven games on the road before playing seven of its last 10 contests at home.
 
SRU's season-opening road trip resulted in a 1-1-1 record on a tie with Shepherd University, a loss to East Stroudsburg University and a shutout win over Pitt-Johnstown.
 
Prior to 2024, Slippery Rock's last three-game road trip came in a 1-1-1 showing to finish the 2021 season. The last time SRU won all three games in a three-game road stint came in 2019 with victories over No. 16 West Virginia Wesleyan College, Clarion and UPJ.
 
INCREASED OFFENSE
Slippery Rock's 27 shots against Seton Hill last week marked the most shots in a single-game from SRU's offense since Sept. 6, 2023 when The Rock set a program record with 43 shots versus Pitt-Johnstown – a span of 20 games.
 
The Rock's outpouring of shots versus Seton Hill followed a 17-shot performance against Pitt-Johnstown Sept. 11. The Rock took at least 17 shots nine times last year in their 19 games (47.4 percent of the time).
 
In addition to SRU's 27 shots fired on the Griffins, SRU held a 12-4 lead in shots on target. The Rock only tallied a dozen shots on goal three times last season: 13 versus Davis & Elkins College in a 6-1 win, 17 against UPJ in a 5-0 win and 14 at Pitt-Johnstown during a 4-1 victory.
 
The Rock now ranks second in the PSAC with 16 shots per game, second only to No. 2 Gannon University's 18.3. SRU also ranks third in the Atlantic Region in shots per game, as Frostburg State University has averaged 16.3 shots so far this year.
 
MORE MAGIC ON THE SET PIECE
While Slippery Rock did not technically continue its recent trend of scoring on corner kicks, the Seton Hill own goal that put The Rock on the board came on an attempted clearance from a well-struck corner by Balazentis.
 
Patrick assisted twice in Slippery Rock's 3-0 win at UPJ with the first and third goals of the game produced by corner kick opportunities. DeLucio headed in SRU's first corner 3:51 into the game before Zacharyasz scored her seventh career goal in the 88^th minute from a Patrick corner.
 
SRU now ranks third in the conference with 5.8 corner kicks per game. The Rock hold a 22-10 lead over opponents in corner kicks this year and have led in corner kicks through the last two games by a total of 19-5.
 
DEPTH IN THE ROSTER
Dermotta and Yoder have become consistent sources of talent off the bench this year, combining for 11 shots while appearing in all four games. Munnikhuysen and Price have also come onto the pitch to relieve a starter in three matches this year, adding five total shots.
 
Overall, Dermotta, Munnikhuysen, Price and Yoder have accounted for a quarter of the team's shots (16-of-64). That quartet has also contributed 10 of Slippery Rock's 29 shots on goal (34.5 percent).
 
DEFENDING THE ROCK
King and Zacharyasz have played all 360 possible minutes this year in Slippery Rock's defensive core, often alongside fellow defenders Diffenbacher and Smith.
 
SRU has also been able to incorporate some key first-year defenders in the likes of Maxey and Jordyn Constable, who have combined for over 150 minutes. Both Constable and Maxey have appeared in the starting lineup once.
 
Slippery Rock's defensive third is coming off its best game this year, allowing a season-best six shots.
 
BETWEEN THE PIPES
Leah Allman ranks fourth in the PSAC with 5.3 saves per game and sits 40^th in Division II with 21 total saves on the year. Only six goalkeepers in the Atlantic Region have made more saves than her.
 
Despite allowing three goals in two games to IUP last year, Allman is undefeated with a 2-0 record when taking on the Crimson Hawks. The sophomore goaltender begins the weekend with a 1.00 GAA and an .840 save percentage.
 
AVOIDING THE "L" COLUMN
Of the 17 teams in the PSAC, Slippery Rock is situated as one of the seven undefeated clubs in conference play. A win over Indiana (Pa.) would lift Slippery Rock to its first three-game unbeaten start to conference competition since a 3-0 start in 2021.
 
The Rock kicked off PSAC West play with a 6-0 record in 2019, a start in conference play that marked the best beginning to league action since SRU went 5-0-1 in 2007.
 
RECORD WATCH
Patrick's two assists at UPJ jumped her into the top five all-time, now with 23. Patrick is tied for fourth all-time with Sonya Maher (1996-99) and trails Ashley Paganie, who leads the program history books with 26, by three assists.
 
Patrick joins Sarver in the top 20 all-time in total shots attempted, as well. Patrick has attempted 107 total career shots, taking sole possession of 17^th all-time. Four shots against Seton Hill were enough to improved Sarver's career total to 121, 13^th in school history.
 
Sarver is now seven shots back from Alyssa Barrett in 12^th and 12 shots behind Sarah Arsenault's 133 shots to break into the top 10.
 
With her 61^st straight game played last week, Patrick became one of just four Rock women's soccer players all-time to start at least 61 consecutive matches. Haley Burkholder and Dana Kiger both own 68-game runs while Izabel Scott leads all-time with 80.
 
Similarly, Allman played her 23^rd game as goalie against Seton Hill, now one of just 11 SRU players all-time to suit up in net 23 times in their career. Allman, who is still only a sophomore, will move into the top nine by putting the gloves on at IUP Saturday. 64 is the number to reach in order to break the record, set by Yoder from 2018-22.
 
THE CRIMSON HAWKS BY THE NUMBERS
Overall Record: 2-0-1
PSAC West Record: 1-0-1
Home Record: 1-0
Away Record: 0-0-1
Neutral Record: 1-0
PSAC West Rank: T-2^nd of 8
Streak: D1
Head Coach: Noreen Herlihy | Third season at IUP (12-13-13, .487)
Roster: Link
Stats: Link
 
INDIANA SCOUTING REPORT
The Crimson Hawks have soared to a 2-0-1 undefeated start to their 2024 campaign, coming from a 2-1 win over Frostburg State, a 2-0 home victory over Clarion and most recently, a 0-0 draw at Pitt-Johnstown.
 
IUP's scoring defense of 0.3 goals per game ranks third in the PSAC and 21^st in Division II. Brandon, Mississippi native Makenna Yarrow has been Indiana's star in goal, coming off two straight shutouts and ranking third in the conference and 22^nd nationally with a .917 save percentage.
 
Indiana's four goals have come from four different players, one of which is Hannah Scardina, who registered all three goals that IUP earned against The Rock last year. The graduate student and Indiana, Pennsylvania local also leads the Crimson Hawks with 12 shots – twice as many as the next-highest mark on the team.
 
IUP was included in the most recent United Soccer Coaches' Atlantic Region poll Sept. 17, coming in at fifth out of 10.
 
The Crimson Hawks are coached by Noreen Herlihy, the winningest coach in Slippery Rock women's soccer history. Herlihy accumulated a 250-113-30 (.674) record from her 20-year stint at The Rock from 1995-2014.  
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Slippery Rock will play its first night game of the year with a 6 p.m. kickoff Sept. 25 at Edinboro. SRU swept the Fighting Scots last year with 1-0 and 3-2 wins.





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