SHEPHERDSTOWN, W. Va. – The Slippery Rock University women's soccer team opened its season with a hard-fought road contest at Shepherd, settling for a 1-1 tie with the Rams.
 
Both The Rock and the Rams will begin their respective seasons with an overall record of 0-0-1 following the deadlock.
 
Sydney Patrick scored the lone goal for The Rock, leading the starters with three shots. Sydney Smith recorded the assist to earn her first career point.
 
Patrick also led Slippery Rock offensively by placing all three of her shots on target. Joining her with a team-high three shots was Olivia Yoder, who saw two of her attempts go on goal.
 
Leah Allman was challenged by a high-pressure Shepherd offense all day, required to make seven saves while facing 16 shots. Those seven saves matched a career-high that was set last year for the sophomore keeper.  
 
Sophia Palermo registered a pair of shots on frame while Smith tacked on one. Jaime Dermotta came off the bench and contributed two shots in the game as well. Maddie DeLucio and Morgan Sarver rounded out the offense with one shot attempt apiece.
 
Slippery Rock began the game with waves of momentum, finding the back of the net with Patrick's goal and Smith's assist just 7:39 into the 2024 season.
 
After Shepherd responded with seven shots in the opening 25 minutes, the Rams posted their equalizing goal in the 30^th minute off the foot of Adrianna Morales.
 
Dermotta nearly put The Rock back on top in the 35^th minute after she beat the keeper on a run, but saw her sinking shot knick off the crossbar. The two sides entered the halftime break with the 1-1 score while the Rams outshot SRU in the first half, 9-6.
 
SRU's next best chance to take the lead came in the 64^th minute when Yoder received a cross from Sarver at the back post before the ball ended up just wide.
 
A defense-dominated second half continued until Slippery Rock saw a storybook ending erased when Shepherd's Hannah Wilt made an impressive save on Palermo with just 10 second left in regulation. That went down as the game-saving stop for the Rams, solidifying the 1-1 draw.
 
After earning an 8-7 edge in shots throughout the second half, The Rock were outshot on the game, 16-14. Both teams logged eight shots on target.
 
SRU's PSAC East road trip will continue when it kicks off against East Stroudsburg University 1 p.m. Sunday.





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