Slippery Rock girls soccer, on Shareen Thangiah’s huge night, sweeps rival Grove City for 1st time in 4 years
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Slippery Rock's Shareen Thangiah (14) follows the ball in a girls soccer game against Grove City Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at Slippery Rock's Troy-Alan Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock fans cheer on their team in a girls soccer game against Grove City Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at Slippery Rock's Troy-Alan Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock's London Galino (16) passes the ball in a girls soccer game against Grove City Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at Slippery Rock's Troy-Alan Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock's Deeliah Thangiah (21) receives the ball in a girls soccer game against Grove City Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at Slippery Rock's Troy-Alan Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock goalie Sophie Hensel (44) recovers the ball in a girls soccer game against Grove City Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at Slippery Rock's Troy-Alan Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock's Deeliah Thangiah (21) passes the ball upfield in a girls soccer game against Grove City Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at Slippery Rock's Troy-Alan Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock's Shareen Thangiah (14) makes her way upfield in a girls soccer game against Grove City Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at Slippery Rock's Troy-Alan Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock's Gracie Hoehn (24) kicks the ball in a girls soccer game against Grove City Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at Slippery Rock's Troy-Alan Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock's Kylie Workman (13) moves to pass the ball in a girls soccer game against Grove City Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at Slippery Rock's Troy-Alan Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock's Natalie Wilson (8) receives a pass in a girls soccer game against Grove City Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at Slippery Rock's Troy-Alan Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock's Brynn Miller (4) dribbles the ball in a girls soccer game against Grove City Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at Slippery Rock's Troy-Alan Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock's Keira Wilhelm (11) pursues the ball in a girls soccer game against Grove City Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at Slippery Rock's Troy-Alan Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock's Deeliah Thangiah (21) follows an aerial ball in a girls soccer game against Grove City Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at Slippery Rock's Troy-Alan Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock's Kylie Workman (13) and Grove City's Aleah Morgante (13) compete for the ball in a girls soccer gameWednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at Slippery Rock's Troy-Alan Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock's Shareen Thangiah (14) competes with Grove City's Chloe Banner (2) for control of the ball in a girls soccer game against Grove City Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at Slippery Rock's Troy-Alan Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock's Kylie Workman (13) runs with the ball in a girls soccer game against Grove City Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at Slippery Rock's Troy-Alan Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock's Epifani Trufley (10) steals the ball away from Grove City's Aleah Morgante (13) in a girls soccer game Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at Slippery Rock's Troy-Alan Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock goalie Sophie Hensel (44) is announced as part of the starting lineup in a girls soccer game against Grove City Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at Slippery Rock's Troy-Alan Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock's Camryn Gercken (2) lines up a pass in a girls soccer game against Grove City Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at Slippery Rock's Troy-Alan Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Slippery Rock's Magerie Foulk (9) lines up a kick from the goal box in a girls soccer game against Grove City Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at Slippery Rock's Troy-Alan Stadium. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
SLIPPERY ROCK TWP — Shareen Thangiah does not keep a running tally of her goals.
What Slippery Rock girls soccer’s senior striker does concern herself with is putting forth the kind of effort that helps her team win.
Fortunately for the Rockets, the two things have gone hand in hand in 2026.
Thangiah scored twice in less than four minutes early in the first half of Wednesday’s District 10 Region 2 clash with Grove City, paving the way to a 3-0 win over the Eagles at Slippery Rock’s Troy-Alan Stadium.
She assisted on teammate London Galino’s goal in the second half, giving Thangiah 12 goals and seven assists this season — both tops on the team — for the Rockets (10-1-2, 6-1).
“She’s really elevated her game,” Slippery Rock head coach Matt Purtell said. “Between goals and assists, she is the whole package. Some of the goals she’s scored, the degree of difficulty, it’s been unbelievable.”
Wednesday’s result was the Rockets’ second 3-0 win against Grove City (6-7, 4-3) this year, marking the first time in four seasons Slippery Rock swept its backyard rival.
“Scoring two goals early in the game tonight was crazy,” Thangiah said. “I’m excited that we beat Grove City twice because that’s something we have been unable to do.”
A sprinter and hurdler on the track team, Thangiah’s speed is something every team the Rockets play has to account for. Most don’t have an answer for it.
Playing in the midfield as a freshman, Thangiah moved to striker as a sophomore.
She had a strong junior campaign in 2025 with 14 goals and eight assists.
“I didn’t know I scored that many,” Thangiah said. “We were underdogs last year with just one senior. I didn’t want people to think we were a team they could mess with just because we were young. Even though we have more experience now, I still have that same mentality.
“After I moved to striker, I really started to focus on getting a good first touch on the ball. I wanted to put myself in the best position to score.”
Aside from Thangiah’s production, the Rockets’ offense has been spread out with 25 goals and 22 assists.
“The girls have been unselfish,” Purtell said. “We like to play the ball wide to our wings and get it back to the middle. We want everybody to be involved.”
Slippery Rock goalie Sophie Hensel stopped seven shots for her 12th shutout of the season. She has allowed just two goals in 13 games.
Dixie O’Connor stopped four shots for the Eagles.
Slippery Rock travels to Greenville on Tuesday.
