Rock earns PSAC title-game berth

Nov. 7, 2003

Slippery Rock, Pa. - Freshman forward Lauren Steele (Leonardtown, Md./Leonardtown HS) scored two goals and had one assist Friday afternoon to lead 13th-ranked Slippery Rock University women's soccer team (14-2-2) to a 5-2 win over visiting Millersville University (14-6-1) in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference semifinal game on James W. Egli Field.

With the win - SRU's first-ever in postseason play -- the top-seeded Rock moves into Sunday's 1 p.m. championship game on Egli Field.

The Rock will host sixth-seeded Lock Haven (10-11-1) in the title game. Lock Haven upset second-seeded West Chester, 2-1, in the other semifinal game.

The Rock and Lock Haven battled to a 2-2 stalemate in their regular-season meeting Sept. 20 in Lock Haven.

Regardless of the outcome of Sunday's game, The Rock anticipates receipt of an NCAA regional tournament berth on Monday. SRU is ranked second in the Northeast Region behind Adelphi (N.Y.).

Junior midfielder Jessica Markowski (North Royalton, Ohio/Padua Franciscan HS) and freshman forward Meghan McGrath (Vernon, NJ/Vernon Township HS) had a goal and an assist each to complement Steele's tallies Friday.

Steele has scored 16 goals this season and is SRU's second leading scorer. McGrath's goal was her 11th of the season.

Junior forward Sarah Arsenault (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy) scored her school-record 23rd goal of the season off an assist from junior defender Christy Czapor (North Huntington/Norwin HS) at the 13:47 mark of the first half to account for the game's first goal.

The Rock enjoyed a 3-0 halftime lead thanks to the goals by Steele and Arsenault.

Rock sophomore goalie Amanda Wier (Bethlehem/Fairfield [Conn.] HS) recorded four saves as The Rock outshot Millersville by a 16-11 margin.

Susan Kerr scored both Millersville goals; she now has 17 this fall.

Friday's win gave this year's squad a share of the school's single-season win record. The 1996 and 2000 teams both finished with 14-5 records.

The win was also Noreen Herlihy's 100th in nine seasons as SRU's coach.

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