On Wednesday, the Slippery Rock men’s soccer team hosted Gannon University and suffered a 4-0 loss to begin their three-game homestand in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) West games.
The first half showed promise for the White and Green, with a great defensive fortitude preventing Gannon from capitalizing on any opportunities. The Rock did not give up many opportunities, holding possession for the majority of the first half.
The 35th minute included a break in the tie, with a corner kick by the Golden Knights putting them up 1-0. The 40th minute resulted in another goal from Gannon, putting them up 2-0.
The Rock remained competitive throughout the first half, beyond what the numbers may show. The 7-3 lead in shots and 4-0 advantage in shots on goal don’t show the fight and heart from the White and Green in the first half.
Coming into the second half, Slippery Rock picked up the pace offensively, applying more pressure on Gannon’s goalie. Cornelis Dedecker, Aashi Pandher and Zsombor Retfalvi lead the charge for SRU. Dedecker and Pandher each recorded three shots, with Retfalvi recording two of his own.
The Rock began to bring the numbers closer, only trailing 13-10 in overall shots, but could not capitalize on any goals throughout the match. Two goals by Gannon’s Sverre Orten put Gannon up 4-0, and this score would stand from the 64th minute onwards.
Slippery Rock drops to 3-5-1 overall, and 1-2-0 in PSAC West games. They will continue conference play on Saturday against California University (Pa.) at 12 p.m. at James Egli Field.
