SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Nationally-ranked Slippery Rock scored the final 21 points of the game to score a come-from-behind 35-28 victory on Saturday night over Shepherd University.
Running back JayJay Jordan scored on a 16-yard run in overtime to move The Rock to 2-0 for the season. Slippery Rock defended its No. 4 ranking in this week’s AFCA Division II national rankings and No. 9 in the D2football.com media poll.
The Rams (0-2) took a 28-14 lead with 12:05 remaining in regulation when senior receiver Malakai Brown scored on a four-yard pass from quarterback Michael Hardyway.
Slippery Rock came back with two scores to tie the game at 28 to force the overtime.
Jordan scored on an eight-yard run with 3:08 remaining to cut the lead to 28-21. Slippery Rock made good at its final chance for a tying score, capped by backup quarterback DaOne Owens weaving for a 16-yard TD with :36 remaining.
Slippery Rock got their final chance for the tie, thanks to a video replay.
Shepherd running back Jordan Barnett powered into the line on a fourth-and-1 play for an apparent first down just after the two-minute warning. But Slippery Rock challenged the spot.
The first down would have given the Rams a chance to run out the clock for a seven-point win.
After a lengthy review, officials overturned the first down because the video showed Barnett was stopped a half-yard short.
With the game suddenly tied, Shepherd took a knee on the next possession, opting to go to overtime. The Rams won the toss, but chose to play defense to open the extra session.
Starting at the 25 by overtime rules, Jordan scored on the second play of the possession to give The Rock the lead.
Shepherd failed to get a tying score, finishing with three straight incompletions.
The loss wasted a breakout day for Barnett, who rushed for 61 yards and three of the Rams’ four TDs.
The two teams traded first-half touchdowns to take a 14-14 tie into the half.
Barnett scored first from the 4 with 5:08 left in the first quarter as the Rams took the early lead. Slippery Rock countered quarterback Anthony Vespo connected with Jordan for his first of three touchdowns on a 15-yard scoring pass to tie the game at 7 with 13:57 left in the half.
Just over two minutes later, Barnett broke a 22-yard run for his second touchdown of the day. But The Rock tied the game on a trick play, when Xander McClure took a lateral from Vespo and threw a 38-yard strike to Latrell Sutton to tie the game at the 2:12 mark.
Shepherd returned to the field and dominated the first 25 minutes of the second half to build a 28-14 lead.
Barnett ran for his third TD on an eight-yard run with 2:23 remaining in the third quarter.
That led to Brown’s 5-yard scoring catch from Hardyway for the 14-point lead in the fourth quarter before Shepherd’s collapse.
Hardyway completed 21-of-28 passes for 252 yards and a score. Grant Swinehart led the Rams’ ground game with 91 yards on 21 carries and Kordell Batten led the Shepherd receivers with six catches for 105 yards.
Shepherd totaled 403 yards of total offense and Slippery Rock had 342.
College volleyball
Shepherd wins two matches
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Shepherd University finished a four-match weekend sweep at the UC-WVSU Crossover on Saturday with a pair of three-set sweeps over Glenville State and University of Charleston.
The Rams (6-1) took down Glenville (5-3) 25-18, 25-22, 25-17, before turning back Charleston (5-3) 31-29, 27-25, 25-22 in the finale. Shepherd defeated Point Park and West Virginia State on Friday.
Junior hitter Sophia Ryan led Shepherd with 12 kills and freshman Ada McCoy added 11 in the opener. Junior Rylee Lenz added five blocks, while senior Madigan Faircloth had 13 digs. Senior Macy Buso recorded a match-high 42 assists.
Against Charleston, junior Amya Davis, Ryan and McCoy each had eight kills, while R to pace the Rams in the win over Charleston. Ryan also had seven blocks, including five solos. Faircloth had 12 digs, while Buso contributed 22 assists and nine digs.
Women’s soccer
Shepherd Ties East Stroudsburg
EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. – Shepherd University took an early lead but was forced to settle for 1-1 tie with East Stroudsburg in PSAC East match on Saturday.
The Rams (1-0-2, 1-0-2 PSAC East) are ranked fifth in Division II soccer.
Shepherd held East Stroudsburg (0-0-3, 0-0-3 PSAC East) to one shot in the match, but it was all the Raiders needed.
Shepherd took a 1-0 lead at the 6:20 mark when senior defender Erika Moore scored on assists from junior Reagan Ackermann and senior Josie Beezel.
East Stroudsburg tied the game when Jade Wiley scored an unassisted goal at the 39:04 mark.
Shepherd goalkeepers, sophomore Hannah Wilt and freshman Kendall Wright, did not record a save. The Raiders’ Emmy Clarkson had seven saves.
Shepherd had a 13-1 advantage in shots, with an 8-1 edge in shots on goal, and a 9-0 advantage in corner kicks.
Men’s soccer
Chestnut Hill Edges Shepherd
PHILADELPHIA – Mohamed Bility scored a goal and assisted on another to lift Chestnut Hill to a 2-1 win over Shepherd on Saturday.
Kervening Thelistin scored on an assist from Bility at the 7:47 mark to give the Griffins a 1-0 advantage.
Sophomore Joshua Petty tied the game for the Rams (0-0-3, 0-0-3 PSAC East) on a penalty kick at the 15:26 mark.
Bility scored the game winner on an assist from Abdoulaye Kamagate at 59:26.
Sophomore goalkeeper Aidan Houck posted nine saves for the Rams.
Chestnut Hill had a 19-11 advantage in shots and an 11-7 edge in shots on goal, but Shepherd had a 4-1 margin on corner kicks.
