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Roster | Schedule | 2023 Statistics
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. — The Slippery Rock University women’s soccer team earned a first-place vote and landed third in the 2024 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division preseason coaches’ poll, the conference office announced Tuesday.
2023 PSAC Tournament runner-up No. 5 Gannon University sat atop the poll with six first-place votes with SRU being edged by Seton Hill University for second. The Griffins also saw one first-place vote cast in their favor.
Indiana University (Pa.) was predicted to finish the season in fourth followed by Edinboro, California (Pa.), Clarion and Pitt-Johnstown.
No. 11 West Chester University will look to defend its PSAC Championship victory after being polled first in the PSAC East despite gaining just five of eight possible first-place votes. No. 25 Kutztown University, which won the PSAC East regular season title a year ago, came in second with a trio of first-place votes.
East Stroudsburg University and Bloomsburg University rounded out the top four in the PSAC East. Shepherd University picked up a first-place vote while polling fifth. Sixth through ninth-place spots belonged to Millersville University, Lock Haven University, Shippensburg University and Mansfield University, respectively.
SETTING ANOTHER HIGH BAR
Slippery Rock wrapped up its 2023 season in the PSAC Tournament Nov. 6 after putting up an impressive 12-4-3 overall record, its 27th consecutive winning record in a year in which a full season was played.
Slippery Rock’s qualification for the 2023 PSAC Tournament marked the 13th straight season in which The Rock were featured in the postseason.
In addition to SRU’s strong season, The Rock finished up their tenure at James Egli Field with a 7-0-2 home record, not having lost on home soil since Oct. 19, 2022.
STRONG RETENTION
SRU’s 29-person roster includes 23 returners, 85.2 percent of last year’s squad. The Rock will be looking to fill two major roles in the absence of Ashley Rea and Brooke Riefenstahl. While Rea, Slippery Rock’s leading goalscorer in 2023, will not be back on the field this year, the team will enjoy her presence on the sideline as a graduate assistant.
Slippery Rock brings a balanced roster to the new season featuring eight seniors, seven juniors, eight sophomores and six freshmen. Of last year’s 43 goals that The Rock put in the back of the net, 33 (76.7 percent) were scored by returners.
COACHING STAFF
Head coach Jessica Giegucz will enter her 10th year at the helm of the Rock women’s soccer program, five victories away from her 100th win with SRU. Giegucz, who began her career at Division III Northland College, earned her 100th overall career win last year.
Giegucz begins the season with an impressive 95-42-20 (.669) record while at The Rock and a career mark of 106-51-21 (.654).
Assistant coach Kohl Orner will once again join Giegucz on the sidelines, beginning his fifth year with Slippery Rock.
Orner, who plays a pivotal role in SRU’s goalkeeping and defensive efforts, is coming off a season that featured a nine-game undefeated streak, the program’s longest since 2009. The Rock also start off their 2024 campaign with a +25 goal differential over the past two years.
In her first year as Slippery Rock’s graduate assistant, Rea will be able to jump straight in and share valuable experience after providing 42 points on 18 goals and six assists over the last four seasons. Through her playing career, the reigning All-PSAC West honoree appeared in 72 total games while averaging 56.3 minutes per game.
SENIOR CLASS
Slippery Rock’s most tenured class includes Maddie DeLucio, Jaime Dermotta, Faith Diffenbacher, Jessica Girard, Nina King, Skylar Munnikhuysen, Sydney Patrick and Olivia Yoder.
DeLucio ranked fourth on last year’s squad with 12 points on five goals and two assists, highlighted by a heading equalizer in SRU’s 2-1 upset win over No. 18 Mercyhurst University. The Greensburg, Pennsylvania native also recorded the game-winning goal in a 4-1 road win at Pitt-Johnstown.
Diffenbacher spent every possible minute of the 2023 season on the field, starting all 19 games for the second straight year. Despite her defensive role, Diffenbacher added two goals and an assist for SRU. That included a game-winner at Edinboro that helped earn her PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week honors for the first time in her career.
Joining Diffenbacher for all 1,695 minutes played was King, who also accompanied Diffenbacher as an All-PSAC West second team defensive selection. King proved vital in her role as sweeper in SRU’s defensive third, also able to contribute offensively with an assist versus Pitt-Johnstown.
Munnikhuysen exceled as one of SRU’s top offensive assets with 10 points on four goals and two assists, including both of Slippery Rock’s goals in a 2-2 draw with Clarion. The Ransomville, New York native also bookended her year with goals, scoring in the season-opener against Davis & Elkins College and in The Rock’s playoff appearance at Gannon.
Leading SRU with 23 points on six goals and 11 assists was Patrick, the returning United Soccer Coaches All-Atlantic Region honoree. Patrick will look to carry over the momentum she concluded 2023 on, tallying seven points in the final four matches. The All-PSAC West selection’s 11 assists ranked second all-time in Slippery Rock’s single-season record book.
Dermotta and Yoder also combined for seven points, each adding one goal on the year. In total, the 2024 senior class produced 44.2 percent of last year’s goalscoring and 47.5 percent of SRU’s points.
JUNIOR CLASS
Slippery Rock’s seven-person junior class is comprised of Sydney Gray, Brianna Matteson, Briona Rice, Morgan Sarver, Sydney Smith, Leah Walter and Libby Zacharyasz.
Sarver earned PSAC West Athlete of the Week honors twice last year, leading SRU with 67 total shots. Also an All-PSAC West honoree, Sarver comes off a season that saw her gain 21 points on six goals and nine assists. The Altoona, Pennsylvania native played her career-best game in a 6-1 win over D&E with a whopping six points on one goal and four assists.
Zacharyasz enjoyed a defensive midfield role in 2023 that included the full game time of all 19 appearances. Despite her position on the field, the Strongsville, Ohio defender led SRU with three game-winning goals, netting five in total. Zacharyasz was also a two-time PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week.
Last season also saw Rice’s first career goal, which came in her first start with Slippery Rock at Pitt-Johnstown.
SOPHOMORE CLASS
2024’s octave of sophomores is made up of Leah Allman, Ava Balazentis, Allie Burkholder, Allie Burns, Irene Doleno, Bailey McGee, Sophia Palermo and Lindsey Price.
Starting all 19 games in net as a freshman was Allman, finishing her rookie efforts with a 1.51 GAA and a .632 save percentage. Allman ranked second in the PSAC West with six shutouts, including two in her first four career games.
McGee became a key piece to Slippery Rock’s midfield in 2023, starting 17 games and appearing in all 19 outings. With 21 total shots on the year, McGee nabbed her first assist at home in a 4-1 victory over UPJ.
Palermo and Price also came away with their first career goals in their freshman seasons, with Palermo scoring at Pitt-Johnstown and Price adding to SRU’s season-opening victory over Davis & Elkins.
FRESHMAN CLASS
The smallest group of this year’s roster is found in the freshman class. The Rock are set to welcome the following:
Freshman – Hometown / High School
Sam Braden – Wexford, Pa. / North Allegheny
Jordyn Constable – Rochester, N.Y. / Penfield
Libby Earley – Wexford, Pa. / North Allegheny
Chloe Flynn – Hackettstown, N.J. / Hackettstown
Kate Lasker – Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio / Woodridge
Kierstyn Maxey – Fairmont, W. Va. / East Fairmont
2024 SCHEDULE
The Rock will travel over 1,800 miles round-trip through their upcoming campaign. Despite the absence of Mercyhurst in the PSAC West this year, The Rock will travel about 300 miles more than last year, due in part to their season-opening road trip to Shepherd and East Stroudsburg Sept. 6 and 8.
Slippery Rock’s first round of double-round robin play in PSAC West competition will largely be on the road, with six of the team’s first seven games being played away from home. SRU will open conference play at Pitt-Johnstown Sept. 11 before its first match at James Egli Field 12 p.m. Sept. 14 against Seton Hill.
After playing all PSAC West teams once, The Rock will split up league play with a highly anticipated challenge against No. 9 Ashland University. The game will be contested 7 p.m. Oct. 9 under the lights of Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.
Following that non-conference matchup with the reigning NCAA Division II Round of 16 contenders, The Rock will round out their year with the second stint of PSAC West competitions. While six of September’s seven games will come on the road, six of October’s seven contests will be featured at home.
If Slippery Rock finishes the regular season in the top four spots within the PSAC West, The Rock will compete in their 14th consecutive PSAC Tournament beginning Nov. 12.
2024 Slippery Rock women’s soccer schedule:
Shepherd (Sept. 6: Away)
East Stroudsburg (Sept. 8: Away)
Pitt-Johnstown (Sept. 11: Away | Oct. 16: Home)
Seton Hill (Sept. 14: Home | Oct. 12: Away)
Indiana (Pa.) (Sept. 21: Away | Oct. 19: Home)
Edinboro (Sept. 25: Away | Nov. 6: Home)
Clarion (Sept. 28: Away | Oct. 26: Home)
Gannon (Oct. 2: Home | Oct. 30: Away)
California (Pa.) (Oct. 5: Home | Nov. 2: Away)
Ashland (Oct. 9: Home)
2024 PSAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll
(First-Place Votes)
WEST
1. Gannon (6)
2. Seton Hill (1)
3. THE ROCK (1)
4. Indiana (Pa.)
5. Edinboro
6. California (Pa.)
7. Clarion
8. Pitt-Johnstown
EAST
1. West Chester (5)
2. Kutztown (3)
3. East Stroudsburg
4. Bloomsburg
5. Shepherd (1)
6. Millersville
7. Lock Haven
8. Shippensburg
9. Mansfield
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Source link : https://rockathletics.com/news/2024/8/13/womens-soccer-rock-tabbed-third-in-psac-west-preseason-poll.aspx
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Publish date : 2024-08-13 18:59:22
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