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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The seventh ranked Slippery Rock University women's lacrosse team locked up at least one home playoff game and stayed undefeated with a convincing 17-7 win over Indiana (Pa.) in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division game Saturday from Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
 
The Rock improved to 15-0 overall and 8-0 in the PSAC West and guaranteed themselves of no lower than a tie for first place in the final division standings, which means SRU will host a PSAC quarterfinal game April 28. Indiana dropped to 7-8 overall and 4-4 in the PSAC West with the loss.
 
Slippery Rock celebrated Senior Day before the final regular season home game Saturday and honored its six senior players during a pregame ceremony. Those players included Sydney Ulmer, Erin Melcher, Maddie Blazey, Ella Koslowski, Grace Rotter and Ava Drath.
 
It took The Rock a little while to get going after the emotions of the Senior Day ceremony and the opening quarter featured 14 total turnovers with seven from each team and just four goals with SRU scoring the first two goals before IUP tied the game at 2-2 heading to the second.
 
Slippery Rock regrouped before putting together a dominant second quarter and outscored IUP 7-0 over the next 15 minutes to lead 9-2 at halftime. The Rock continued the run in the third quarter, scoring the first five goals to cap a 12-0 run and put the game into a running clock. SRU capped a 15-1 run to take a 17-3 lead in the fourth quarter to put the game well out of hand before IUP tallied the final four goals late in the fourth.
 
The Rock finished the game with advantages of 32-19 in total shots, 25-15 in shots on goal, 13-12 in draw controls and 28-21 in ground balls. Both teams struggled with turnovers with IUP turning it over 24 times and going 10-of-16 on the clear and SRU turning it over 21 times and going 9-of-14 on the clear.
 
Isabella Buono and Maddie Blazey paced the attack for Slippery Rock with five points each. Buono netted a game-high five goals and Blazey scored one goal and handed out four assists. Reagan Richeson added four goals to bring her over 50 goals for the second season in a row and Abby Fink scored a hat trick.
 
Grace Rotter and Shannon Von Kaenel each scored one goal and handed out one assist. Rotter also caused two turnovers, grabbed three draw controls and picked up four ground balls, while Von Kaenel snagged seven draw controls.
 
Cadyn Eismann and Ella Koslowski each scored one goal and Aleigha Dubroc tallied one assist to round out the point scorers.
 
Paige Jenkins led a dominant defensive effort over the first three quarters and finished with game-highs of six caused turnovers and eight ground balls. Mckenzie Murphy added three caused turnovers and Violet Freebody caused two turnovers.
 
Lily Ventresca improved to 14-0 in goal after allowing just three goals and making five saves across the first 45 minutes. Ava Drath played the final quarter and allowed four goals while making three saves.
 
IUP got two goals and two assists from Macenzie Haragos and two goals each from Julia Steere and Leah Moyer. Lauren Legrand took the loss in goal after recording six saves and allowing 13 goals in 49:20 in net.
 
Slippery Rock will now shift focus to the final week of the regular season with a pair of road games next week at No. 22 Seton Hill Wednesday and Lock Haven Saturday. A win in either game would lock up the outright division title for the second year in a row.
 
 


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