Nov. 14, 2003

Box Score

Garden City, N.Y. - The Rock women's soccer season ended Friday afternoon when The Rock dropped a 3-0 decision to Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference rival West Chester in a semifinal game of the NCAA Division II Northeast Regional tournament.

The loss gave SRU a 15-3-2 final record, the most wins in the 11-year history of Rock women's soccer.

West Chester broke a scoreless tie in the 18th minute of action when Kayln Miller was able to chip a ball over the head of Rock sophomore goalie Amanda Wier (Bethlehem/Fairfield [Conn.] HS) for the first goal of the game.

Slippery Rock's best chance in the first half came on a header by senior midfielder Annie Manno (Pittsgrove, NJ/Schalick HS). Junior midfielder Jessica Markowski (North Royalton, Ohio/Padua Franciscan HS) pushed the ball up the right flank and sent a cross into the West Chester box. Markowski's cross found Manno, who headed the ball toward the Golden Ram goal and had West Chester goalkeeper Ryan Levine beat. But the ball went wide of the net.

West Chester extended its lead to 2-0 in the 70th minute with a goal by Kelly Ryan on a shot attempt that was deflected but could not be controlled by Wier.

The Golden Rams added an insurance tally in the 77th minute on a goal by Julie Karcher, who had fired the shot on goal that set up Ryan's tally.

Slippery Rock had a pair of prime scoring opportunities in the final minutes as freshmen forwards Meghan McGrath (Vernon, NJ/Vernon Township HS) and Lauren Steele (Leonardtown, Md./Leonardtown HS) each got on-the-mark shots off, only to be denied by Levine.

The Rock made a few more rushes at the West Chester goal but could not get one past Levine, who played strong all day.

"I thought we came out a little flat in the first half and West Chester came out strong," Rock head coach Noreen Herlihy said. "We picked it up in the second half, but Ryan Levine came up huge for them and, at the end of the day, they did what they needed to and got the job done."

Friday's game marked the collegiate finale for two Rock seniors: Manno and midfielder Heather Herd (Harrison Township, Mich./L'Anse Creuse HS).

The 2003 Rock season was the most successful in school history. In addition to the school record for victories, this year's Rock squad captured the program's first-ever PSAC regular-season and playoff championships and a No. 12 national ranking in the final regular-season balloting by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.