The Slippery Rock women’s soccer team finished their regular season schedule by celebrating senior day this Saturday with a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) match-up against Kutztown University. The Rock was unable to get anything past the Golden Bear’s defense, ultimately losing with a final score of 4-0. The team ends the regular season with a 10-7-1 overall record and a 10-5-1 conference record. Kutztown now boasts a 15-3 overall record and a 13-3 conference record.
Kutztown’s Alaina Curry gave her team a 1-0 lead when she scored in the 19th minute. The Golden Bears continued their offensive night when Maddie Mohr scored in the 40th minute, thus giving her team a 2-0 lead going into halftime.
Slippery Rock head coach Jessica Griggs said going into the match she knew how competitive and dynamic Kutztown was as a team.
“We just could not clear the ball out defensively,” Griggs said. “We did do a pretty good job through the middle of the field and in the attacking zone.”
The Rock’s woes continued in the second half of play with Kutztown scoring in the 48th minute off a goal by Cassie Schmidt and then, finally, in the 51st minute by Emily Zwiercan, giving Kutztown their fourth and final unanswered goal.
Coach Griggs said that although the final score of the game was lopsided, the actual game itself was not.
Offensively, Slippery Rock managed nine total shots, with four being on goal. Junior midfielder Maddy Tletski led the way for The Rock with three shots (two on goal), and senior forward Andrea Felix and freshman midfielder Tyler Spence each recorded two shots (one on goal). Kutztown finished the game with thirteen shots, with seven being on goal.
In goal for the Green and White was sophomore Kylie Downs. Downs, playing all 90 minutes for her team, allowed four goals and had three saves.
Senior all-American forward Dara Demich is one of six players for The Rock who played in their final regular season game for Slippery Rock. Demich finishes the regular season with five goals (the team leader) and 13 points.
“Dara is a great student and competitor,” Griggs said. “She is definitely a player who is the whole make-up and is what you epitomize when you think of a student-athlete.”
Demich said that these past four years (two with Coach Griggs) have been very special to her. She said that she has had a blast playing for The Rock and is looking forward to the playoffs.
With their win against Seton Hill this past week, the team has clinched a playoff spot. While the other teams finish up the rest of their matches, Coach Griggs said that her team will begin preparing for the playoffs in search of gold.
