FRANKLIN — The first two times the Slippery Rock High and Hickory boys soccer teams squared off this season, the game ended in a 1-1 tie.

Both teams knew this one wouldn’t end up deadlocked.

Slippery Rock took a 2-0 lead with 14 minutes remaining in the first round of the District 10 Class AA playoffs and held on for a 2-1 win over Hickory at Franklin High School Monday night.

“My idea was I can’t see us losing to them, and there was no way we were going to tie,” said Slippery Rock junior midfielder Mark Cessar, who scored what turned out to be the decisive goal for the Rockets. “One of the kids on the team said this is going to be closure. We knew we were going to win this.”

Slippery Rock was no stranger to draws this season, ending up with four ties in the region, including two against Hickory.

“That’s 100 minutes of soccer we played against these guys,” said Slippery Rock coach Kyle Hopkins. “Those situations helped. We know how to finish.”

Slippery Rock’s confidence showed as it dominated for much of the first half, finally breaking through on a goal by Nick Stutz off a rebound in the 20th minute.

Josh Jones fired a shot at Hickory goalkeeper Donte Green, who knocked it down, but Stutz was waiting to punch it in for an easy goal and a 1-0 lead.

“Getting that first goal was huge,” Hopkins said. “We talk about following shots and Stutz followed and put it away.”

Slippery Rock (11-4-4) out-shot Hickory 13-8 in the first half. Green made eight saves to keep the game close.

The roles reversed in the second half as Hickory (12-5-2) dominated the pace of play, peppering Rockets’ goalkeeper Jason Bluedorn, who was up to the task.

Bluedorn, a junior, made three consecutive difficult saves during a frantic 15-minute stretch by Hickory to preserve the slim lead.

“They were attacking the goal and Jason was huge tonight,” Hopkins said. “This was the best I’ve seen him play. They were huge saves and he also had big punts to get the ball out. He was unbelievable.”

Bluedorn said he knew he was going to be tested by Hickory.

“I was just thinking, we’re up and we can’t let them score,” Bluedorn said. “That’s what happened the last time we played them. The one time we were up by one against them and they came down and scored. I said there is no way I’m letting that happen again.”

Cessar’s goal put Hickory in frantic mode. That panic nearly led to a comeback.

Hickory’s Zack Walters got past a diving Bluedorn and scored to cut the Slippery Rock lead to 2-1 with 5:35 remaining.

The Hornets had two more shots to tie it, but Bluedorn and the Rockets’ defense was able to hold them off for a victory.

Bluedorn faced 12 shots and stopped 11 of them in the win that sends Slippery Rock into the semifinals against unbeaten Harbor Creek (18-0) at 7 p.m. Wednesday at General McLane.

“I can honestly say this year Hickory has been our biggest test so far and we came through,” Bluedorn said. “(Today) I’m going to work hard in practice and (Wednesday) I’ll come in knowing if we can win, we’ll be in the district finals. That’s the goal.”