SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's soccer team takes its three-game winning streak into a clash of two undefeated Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division teams at Indiana University (Pa.) 1 p.m. Saturday.
Slippery Rock enters the matchup with a 3-2-0 overall record and a 3-0-0 mark in the PSAC West. IUP comes into the game with a 5-0-1 overall record and is 3-0-0 in the PSAC West.
Gannon University is the only other remaining PSAC West team that is undefeated in conference play.
WATCH LIVE
Fans can watch Saturday's game live for free via the links below provided by IUP Athletic Communications.
GAME 6 of 16
Opponent: IUP
Date: Saturday – 1 p.m.
Location: Indiana, Pennsylvania
Venue: South Campus Field
Live Video: Link
Live Stats: Link
In-Game Updates: X (@Rock_Athletics)
All-Time Series: 25-18-5
Current Streak: W1
Last Played: Nov. 12, 2024 (SRU won 2-1, 2OT, PSAC Tournament Quarterfinals)
SERIES HISTORY
Slippery Rock and IUP has been an annual series since the two team's inaugural matchup in 1993. Over the past 27 years, the two teams have played each other 48 times. Slippery Rock owns a 25-18-5 record overall against IUP and a 11-12-2 record at Indiana. SRU is 6-1-3 against IUP in its last 10 games against the Crimson Hawks. Last year, The Rock went 2-1-0 against IUP, including a split in the regular season, while SRU knocked IUP out of the PSAC tournamnet in the quarterfinal round.
| TEAM COMPARISON |
| The Rock |
2025 Stats |
Crimson Hawks |
| 3-2-0 |
Overall Record |
5-0-1 |
| 3-0-0 |
Conference Record |
3-0-0 |
| 2.20 |
Goals per Game |
4.33 |
| 1.40 |
Opp. Goals per Game |
0.17 |
| +4 |
Season Goal Differential |
+25 |
| 14.8 |
Shots per Game |
16.8 |
| 8.4 |
Opp. Shots per Game |
5.7 |
| 7.4 |
SOG per Game |
8.2 |
| 4.6 |
Opp. SOG per Game |
2.8 |
| 1.6 |
Assists per Game |
2.8 |
| 5.4 |
Corners per Game |
6.3 |
| 7.6 |
Fouls per Game |
8.7 |
| 3.2 |
Saves per Game |
2.2 |
TOP ACTIVE SRU PLAYERS AGAINST IUP
Libby Zacharyasz – 7 GP: 3 G, 15 SH, 11 SOG, 649 MIN
Leah Allman – 5 GP: 4-1-0, 18 SV, 7 GA, 469 MIN
Sophia Palermo – 3 GP: 6 SH, 2 SOG, 225 MIN
Kierstyn Maxey – 2 GP: 3 SH, 1 SOG, 116 MIN
Rock By The Numbers
Overall Record: 3-2-0
PSAC West Record: 3-0-0
Home Record: 2-0-0
Away Record: 1-2-0
PSAC West Rank: T-1 of 8
Streak: W3
Head Coach: Noreen Herlihy | 21
st season at SRU (253-115-30, .673) | 31
st season overall (308-208-62, .587)
Alma Mater: Mercyhurst '92
Roster: Link
Stats: Link
LAST TIME OUT
Courtesy of an 83rd minute winner from
Miley Kariotis, Slippery Rock defeated Clarion, 2-1, Wednesday.
Marissa Salisbury scored The Rock's opening goal, making it three straight games with at least one goal for the senior. Kariotis rounded out SRU's scoring with her first career goal.
Bailey McGee and
Abby Paterline picked up one assist each against the Golden Eagles.
Goalkeeper
Leah Allman made four saves in The Rock's victory. The win marked the 24
th victory of Allman's career.
The Rock ended the contest with a 22-10 advantage in shots and a 10-5 edge in shots on goal. Also, Slippery Rock had an 8-1 tilt in corner kicks.
LEADING THE ROCK
Salisbury leads The Rock with four goals and nine points. Seven other Rock players have at least a point so far this season.
Palermo and Paterline have two goals each, trailing Salisbury by two.
McGee and Paterline pace Slippery Rock with two assists apiece. Salisbury,
Eden Williams,
Sophia Palermo, and
Irene Doleno all follow McGee and Paterline with one assist each.
Salisbury leads the charge in shots with 15. Paterline follows the senior with 11 shots. Palermo and Price trail the two forwards with seven shots each.
Allman leads the Rock in minutes with 450. Doleno and
Lillian Snyder, both integral to SRU's backline, follow Allman in minutes with 426 and 424 respectively.
ALLMAN IN GOAL
Allman has been The Rock's starter for all five games so far this season. The junior from Olmsted Township, Ohio has a 3-2-0 record with a .696 save percentage, while allowing 1.40 goals per game.
STARTING FAST IN THE PSAC WEST
Slippery Rock has started 3-0-0 in the PSAC West for the first time since 2021. In the five seasons prior to 2021, Slippery Rock had started 3-0-0 in the PSAC West two times. The last time SRU started 4-0-0 in conference play was 2019, as part of a 6-0-0 start to league play.
PSAC LEADERS
During her fast start to 2025, Salisbury ranks inside the top 10 in multiple PSAC categories. The senior from Arona, Pennsylvania, ranks fifth in the PSAC in goals per game with 0.8 and seventh in total goals with four.
Palermo, a junior from Wexford, Pennsylvania, ranks third in the PSAC with two game-winning goals. The two game-winners came in back-to-back games for Palermo against Edinboro and California.
DIVISION II LEADERS
Along with being among the most-clutch players in the PSAC, Palermo also ranks among the top players in Division II in game-winning goals. Palermo is 17
th in the nation in that category.
GOING FOUR GOALS
In the victory against Clarion, Salisbury became the first Rock player to score at least one goal in three straight games since Rachel Edge in 2021. Edge accomplished that feat two separate times in 2021, including scoring in five straight games to open that season. Salisbury is looking to up her goal streak to four games against the Crimson Hawks.
REGIONAL RANKINGS
The most recent regional rankings of 2025 have been released by the United Soccer Coaches and The Rock sit in ninth place in the Atlantic Region. Slippery Rock is one of eight PSAC schools in the rankings. Bloomsburg University, Shepherd University, Kutztown University, and West Chester University represent the PSAC East, while Gannon University, Indiana University (Pa.) and Edinboro join Slippery Rock in representing the PSAC West. The full list of the region rankings can be found
HERE.
HERLIHY ON THE DIVISION II WINS LIST
Slippery Rock head coach
Noreen Herlihy currently sits at 308 wins, which has her ranked tied for 23
rd nationally in Division II in career wins with Ali Omar (Winona State) and 13
th among active coaches.
RECORD WATCH
Leah Allman – Eighth in saves with 140 – 14 saves away from seventh
Leah Allman – Seventh in wins with 24 – one away from sixth
Leah Allman – Fifth in shutouts with 15 – five and a half away from fourth
Leah Allman – Fifth in games started as a goalie with 43 – three away from fourth
Libby Zacharyasz – T-17 on game winning goals with four – one away from T-15
Sophia Palermo – T-17 on game winning goals with four – one away from T-15
CRIMSON HAWKS BY THE NUMBERS
Overall Record: 5-0-1
PSAC West Record: 3-0-0
Home Record: 2-0-1
Away Record: 3-0-0
PSAC West Rank: T-1 of 8
Streak: W4
Roster: Link
Stats: Link
INDIANA SCOUTING REPORT
The Crimson Hawks have gotten off to an impressive 5-0-1 start overall in 2025, while earning a 3-0-0 record to being PSAC West play. Each of IUP's victories has been by at least two goals. Indiana has posted a +25 goal differential through six games this season.
Elle Smith has been on fire in 2025. Smith leads all of Division II in goals with 10. Smith also leads the nation in goals per game with 1.67.
To go along with Smith's goal scoring, IUP has four other players with multiple goals and 11 total goal scorers.
The Crimson Hawks have three players inside the top 25 for assists in Division II. Emma Hays, Jordina Rovira Sole and Taylor Serrano are all tied for 23
rd in the nation's assist lead with five.
The Crimson Hawks have seen three goalkeepers receive playing time this year, but Sarah Gatz has started all six matches for IUP. The sophomore from Douglassville, Pennsylvania has a 5-0-1 record, while allowing only one goal this season, giving her a 0.22 GAA. Gatz has also complied 10 saves, giving the sophomore a .909 save percentage.
LOOKING AHEAD
Slippery Rock will stay on the road to face-off against No. 7 Gannon 6 p.m. Wednesday.
To stay up to date with all that happens at The Rock, follow our official Athletic Communication accounts on 'X' (formerly Twitter, @Rock_Athletics), Facebook (RockAthletics) and Instagram (RockAthletics).
