LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The 22nd-ranked Slippery Rock University women's lacrosse team scored eight unanswered goals in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 14-7 win on the road at Lock Haven Saturday in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division game from Charlotte E. Smith Field.
 
The Rock improve to 10-1 overall and close the first round of PSAC West divisional play with a 5-0 record to sit alone in first place in the division. Lock Haven slips to 5-5 overall and 2-2 in PSAC West games with the loss.
 
This marks the ninth 10-win season in SRU program history and the fourth straight with head coach Taryn Burkholder leading the team to each of those four. She becomes the first coach in program history with four consecutive 10-win seasons. The 10-1 start is the second-best start in program history behind only an 11-0-1 start in 1983.
 
Both teams struggled to find any offensive success for most of the game with each goalie playing well and both teams battling turnover issues. Slippery Rock did not trail through the opening three quarters, but each time The Rock earned a two-goal edge, Lock Haven rallied back to tie the game.
 
The Bald Eagles took their only lead of the game early in the fourth quarter to make it 7-6 with 10:59 to play, but Slippery Rock responded in emphatic fashion. The Rock leveled the score at 7-7 just 33 seconds later and retook the lead with a goal from Abby Fink with 9:46 to play. SRU would pour in eight unanswered goals in the final 10:30 to close the game on an 8-0 run to pull away for the 14-7 win.
 
Slippery Rock finished with advantages of 29-20 in total shots, 24-15 in shots on goal and 14-9 in draw controls. Lock Haven managed a 22-20 edge in ground balls and both teams were credited with 13 caused turnovers. Each team was also credited with three failed clears with SRU going 15-of-18 and LHU going 14-of-17.
 
The Rock survived a rough day in the passing game with a total of 23 turnovers with nearly all of them coming in the opening three quarters. LHU also turned it over 20 times as the teams combined for 43 turnovers.
 
Grace Rotter led the attack with six points on five goals and one assist. Krysta Frankowski added a hat trick and Reagan Richeson, Eryn Little and Fink each scored two goals. Leora Owings added two assists to go along with a game-high 10 draw controls to give SRU six players with multiple points.
 
Sydney Ulmer and Isabella Buono capped the scoring with one assist each. Paige Jenkins led the defense with three caused turnovers and four ground balls, while Richeson was also credited with three caused turnovers.
 
Lily Ventresca improved to 9-0 on the year with a solid performance in goal, allowing just seven goals and recording eight saves in a complete game effort.
 
Makayla Kelly led Lock Haven with two goals and two assists with Nadia Baskot adding two goals and one assist. Goalie Gretchen King made 10 saves in the loss.
 
Slippery Rock will now get a few extra days of rest with a bye Wednesday before returning to action at home next Saturday with a noon game against Gannon to open the second round of PSAC West action.
 



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