IUP Rallies from Early Deficit but Late Goal Powers Slippery Rock to PSAC West Win

Boxscore

IUP erased an early 2-0 lead to create a halftime tie, but Ashley Paganie scored the game winner with 3:56 remaining in the contest to give Slippery Rock a 3-2 win over the Crimson Hawks in a key PSAC West game Thursday night at N. Kerr Thompson Stadium.

Slippery Rock, ranked third in the National Soccer Coaches Association poll, improved to 8-1 overall and 5-0 in the PSAC West.  IUP dropped to 4-3 and 2-3 in the division and saw its hopes for a third straight PSAC West title take a serious hit.

Meghan McGrath scored her seventh and eighth goals of the season in the opening 20 minutes to give The Rock its 2-0 lead.  The Crimson Hawks began their comeback with 20:33 left in the first half on a penalty kick goal by Carina Honeygosky, her fourth tally of the season.

IUP built on that momentum when Ashley Moyer scored her second goal of the year off an assist by Sarah Romasco with 10:28 to play before halftime.  It stayed tied until Paganie put Slippery Rock ahead to stay.

The Rock held a huge statistical edge, outshooting IUP by a 26-11 margin and taking 11 corner kicks to only three for the Crimson Hawks.  Kelsey Dowling made six saves for IUP and Lauren McManus stopped two shots for Slippery Rock.

IUP returns home on Saturday for a 2 p.m. game against Mansfield at the South Campus Field.

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