ERIE — The pain came in twos for the Slippery Rock High School boys soccer team Saturday.

Two hit crossbars, two near-misses and two stellar saves added up to a 1-0 loss to General McLane in the District 10 Class AA championship game at Veterans Stadium.

“That's soccer,” Rockets coach Kyle Hopkins said. “Sometimes the ball just doesn't go in. It felt like there was some type of force-field around the net.”

McLane senior forward Peter Keim scored the lone goal with 26:09 left in the second half. He split a pair of Slippery Rock defenders and deftly rolled a shot into the right corner of the net.

The goal was Keim's 20th of the season.

“They probably had more opportunities than we did, but we got one to go in,” Lancers coach Josh Hopkins said. “Sometimes that's all it takes.

“We built this team on goaltending and defense. This is the fourth straight clean sheet for these boys and I'm happy for them.”

Slippery Rock (15-4) nearly took the lead in the final seconds of the first half. Senior midfielder Brock Sloan got off a clean shot after a teammate's free kick from 50 yards out got loose in front of the net.

Sloan's shot grazed off the top of the right post and crossbar just as time expired.

Three minutes into the second half, Sloan rifled a shot from 35 yards out that deflected harmlessly off the crossbar.

“Either of those shots could have gone,” SR coach Hopkins allowed.

Braden Sloan was stoned twice by McLane goalkeeper Kirk Dillen in less than 30 seconds early in the second half. Dillen made a leaping save on the first shot, then a lunging stop of the second shot with 34:55 left.

“They came at us hard early in that half, but we withstood it,” the McLane coach said. “Slippery Rock has some very talented players.

“We beat them 2-1 at our place earlier in the year. To beat that team twice in one season is an accomplishment.”

Cole McCandless sailed a free kick wide right with 24:52 on the clock and a corner kick by Luc LaChance sailed through the goal crease on another occasion.

The Rockets had seven shots on net to five for McLane (13-5-2). Slippery Rock took three corner kicks — all in the second half — to the Lancers' one.

“This is the third coach in three years for these kids and they went a lot further than anyone expected,” Rockets coach Hopkins said. “They never hung their heads after surrendering that goal.

“They just kept coming harder. I'm proud of these guys.”

Slippery Rock loses eight seniors — defenders Kyle Hinchberger and Quay Barnhart; midfielders Michael Stutz and Brock Sloan; forwards Braden Sloan, Ben Hawley and Perry Christy; and goalkeeper Joe Gioia.

Braden Sloan scored 19 goals this year, McCandless 14, and Stutz had 13 goals and 13 assists.

General McLane won its first District 10 title since 2002. Slippery Rock won the district title in 2009.