The Bald Eagles celebrate their first goal of today's match

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - The Lock Haven University men’s soccer team (12-5, 11-4 PSAC) earned a hard-fought win today topping visiting Slippery Rock University (9-7-2, 8-5-2 PSAC) in physical Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) battle.

Playoff implications were on the line today and it certainly showed as both teams left it all on the field in an extremely intense 90 minutes of play.

The game saw 33 total fouls and seven yellow cards as both teams a lot to gain from today’s result. Coming into today’s match SRU was sitting in the fourth spot looking to seal that final PSAC playoff spot. The Bald Eagles needed the three points to clinch at least the second seed in the PSAC playoffs.

With the three points today they clinched just that and will host a playoff game next Wednesday, but they could still win the PSAC regular season depending on what happens in tonight’s East Stroudsburg University – West Chester University matchup before the LHU – ESU showdown on Saturday.

The Bald Eagles certainly looked like a determined squad early in today’s match as they pushed the pace early. Both teams managed four shots apiece in the opening 45 minutes of play.

It looked as if LHU had the better of the chances and the pressure finally payed off as they went up 1-0 off the head of senior Phil Liversedge (Darlington, England/Texas A&M International).

Liversedge tucked his header in the right corner out of the reach of an outstretched SRU goalie after Ashley Rosindale (Bradford, England/Beckfoot School) sent a perfect ball in off a free kick.

The Bald Eagles would take the 1-0 lead into the break and came out firing again in the second half setting up several chances to add to their lead, but just couldn’t sneak a second past SRU goalie Greg Blum.

Overall the Haven controlled much of the flow of the game in the second half outshooting Slippery Rock 11-5.

Despite their pressure SRU knotted the match at 1-1 in the 80th minute.

Determined the Bald Eagles scored just 1:07 later to regain the lead.

Paul Huckett (Grimsby, England/Grimsby College) was working hard down the right side of field before collecting the ball and slowing things down as he headed in one-on-one with a SRU defender. He made several good body fakes and easily moved around his defender, where he was able to cut a ball back and across to Rosindale, who was on “Johnny on the Spot.”

Rosindale got a head on the ball and tucked it near post to put LHU up to stay.

Senior Chad Feerrar (Lock Haven, Pa./Central Mountain) made three saves in the match.

The Bald Eagles are back in action in their regular-season finale on Saturday, Oct. 27 at 1 p.m. when they play host to ESU.