2008 Woodie Awards
Women's soccer extends unbeaten streak to four games
By Matt Matusek
Issue date: 9/30/05 Section: Sports
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SRU beat Millersville 5-1 last Saturday at James W. Egli Soccer Field and defeated Clarion 4-1 on Tuesday in Clarion.
SRU is unbeaten in its last four games.
"We are playing a lot better right now," sophomore Sarah Mangiarelli said. "We started off a little shaky, but we're gellin' now."
Part of the reason for the shaky start (2-2-2) was because the team didn't know each other's tendencies on the field.
"It was hard to play with each other at first, we didn't really know what to expect from each person," Mangiarelli said.
Coach Noreen Herlihy said she feels the same way, saying that in the beginning of the season she felt the players were strange to each other.
"We've worked hard to get ourselves into the position we're in now," Herlihy said. "The girls are getting more familiar with each other."
As the girls become more familiar with each other, the Rock's offense is becoming more familiar with putting the ball in the back of the net.
Mangiarelli led the way with the first two goals of the game for the Rock in its victory over Clarion. The goals were Mangiarelli's first and second of the season.
"She has earned her wings in the starting lineup," Herlihy said. "She's really matured as a sophomore. She has much more composure this year."
Mangiarelli's play has improved in recent games and the team and coach Herlihy felt that it was only a matter of time before she found the net.
"I was relieved to get a goal," Mangiarelli said. "But at the same time the offense was coming from other people so I wasn't as worried (about not scoring)."
Both of Mangiarelli's goals came in the first half, giving The Rock a 2-0 lead. Meghan McGrath assisted on the second goal.
Clarion split the margin in half with a late first half goal, making the score 2-1 going into the half.
"Although we scored two goals in the first half and went into the second half with the lead, I felt like we underperformed," Herlihy said of the team's first half play. "But we came out in the second half and really turned it up a notch."
