Against the Lakers of Mercyhurst University (14-2, 10-1 PSAC), their sixth nationally ranked opponent of the year, the Slippery Rock University women’s lacrosse team (6-10, 3-8 PSAC) fell by a final score of 15-6.
Mercyhurst took the lead early in the match less than six minutes in with four goals.
Slippery Rock did their best to regain ground against the Lakers with a goal by junior attacker Paige Constatino. The Lakers immediately answered with three more goals of their own to bring the score to 7-1.
Junior attacker Lydia Heishman scored the second goal of the game for the Rock with five minutes remaining in the first half to bring SRU within five. Mercyhurst recorded their eighth goal of the game three minutes later to return to their six-goal lead.
Senior Attacker Morgan Pettit scored two goals for SRU to end the half and set the halftime score at 8-4.
Mercyhurst would claim the first goal of the second half, answered almost immediately by Pettit for her third goal of the game.
The Lakers then went on a five-goal lead spanning 14 minutes, led by junior midfielder Taylor Venture with three goals.
SRU tallied one more goal from Pettit for her fourth of the game and the teams sixth, answered by another Lakers goal to bring the final score to 15-6 in favor of Mercyhurst.The Lakers of Mercyhurst ended the game with a 31-19 advantage in shots and a 19-15 advantage in ground balls.
Sophomore goalie Hannah Houde was given the loss for SRU after allowing eight goals in the first half of competition. She was replaced in the second half by sophomore Jordan Wagner who allowed seven goals.
The silver lining from both this game, as well as this season, comes from the performance of Pettit throughout her career here at the Rock.
With her four goals in the game, Pettit raised her single-season total to 55 goals and her career total to 110. She now ranks third in the single-season category and fourth in career total.
“Being in the record books was not my goal for this season. I would have rather not scored this whole season and had the legacy as the first (SRU lacrosse) team to make PSAC Playoffs,” Pettit said. “I hope that “the legacy” left by me is more like fuel for someone else to want to beat and be better by beating it.”
Pettit needs only three more goals in the final game of the season in order to pass alumnus Amy Hall for second in the single-season category and the same number to claim third in career to pass alumnus April Ennis.
Mercyhurst was led by Ventre with five goals and freshman midfielder Carly Zimmerman with two goals and two assists.
Slippery Rock’s final game of the season will be played Saturday against their seventh nationally ranked opponent, the Lock Haven Eagles (14-2, 10-1 PSAC), whom are ranked seventh in the nation.
Last seasons meeting ended in an Eagle victory by a final score of 17-6.
The game is set to begin at 1 p.m. from Charlotte Smith Field in Lock Haven.
