Slippery Rock women’s soccer faced off against Clarion University in their final road game of the season on Wednesday. In a tight-knit game, the team pulled out a 1-0 victory against the Golden Eagles, advancing their record to 11-3 on the season and 11-1 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).
Despite the low-scoring bout, The Rock kept pressure up through the entire game. The first half had a substantial difference in offensive presence by SRU behind 14 shots, five of which were on target. Clarion was unable to get a single shot on goal, as Slippery Rock kept control of the pitch for the majority of the first half.
The White and Green had several close chances throughout the first half, with several shots and corner kicks coming close to scoring, but were unable to get past Clarion’s goalie Sage Sherk, who tallied nine saves throughout the match.
Keeping that momentum through the second half, The Rock continued to apply pressure and put Clarion on the backfoot.
After firing 10 more shots in an effort to break the scoreless tie, Slippery Rock refused to let up, and their persistence paid off.
In the 83rd minute, senior Libby Zacharyasz found the back of the net with an excellent assist from Marissa Salisbury and Lillian Snyder to secure the 1-0 victory. This win proves critical, as the top three teams in the PSAC West standings are separated by just one game.
SRU still holds the top spot in the conference with 33 points, but Gannon and Indiana University (Pa.) are close behind with 31 and 28 points respectively.
Slippery Rock looks to keep this momentum going, with only two games left in the season, and head into the PSAC Tournament on a high note. The Rock returns home this Saturday to take on Gannon.
