2008 Woodie Awards
Women's soccer blanked by West Chester, beats Clarion
Team stays in second place in West
By Matt Matusek
Issue date: 10/21/05 Section: Sports
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The goal was scored on a play where McCormick could not gather control of the ball near the 18-yard line and West Chester forward Julie Karcher picked up the loose ball to deposit her 15th goal of the season.
Entering the game, West Chester was ranked No. 4 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll. It was also ranked No. 1 in the northeast regional poll.
"We knew that they were a good team and it was going to be a tough game, but we have expectations of winning every game," coach Noreen Herlihy said. "We are not defensive-minded at all, we attack."
McCormick recorded 14 saves including two spectacular saves to keep the game at 0-0 until the 26th minute of the second half when Karcher scored.
"Jen played superbly the entire game and the back four on defense played very well against a tough offense," Herlihy said. "She made the right decision but the ball just popped out."
In the first half, WCU came out on the attack putting SRU to play defensively. This pressure made it difficult for the Rock to generate much offense.
Early in the second half coach Herlihy decided to move midfielder Meghan McGrath up to the front line to shift WCU's focus. This move opened up a few more offensive chances for SRU.
"I thought if I moved Meghan up front that her physical play would cause West Chester to make changes, and her pressure made a huge difference," Herlihy said.
Ball control has been a huge part of the Rock's success throughout the year and that is something they didn't have for the better part of the game against WCU.
The Rock was outshot by the Golden Rams 14-6.
"We definitely didn't control the tempo. We didn't have nearly as much possession as normal, and our offense was not firing on all cylinders," Herlihy said.
Last Saturday SRU defeated Clarion by a score of 3-1. Freshman forward Mallory Neubert scored two goals to bring her team-leading total to seven on the year. She also has accumulated 14 points on the year, which is second on the team.
Sophomore forward Sarah Mangiarelli scored her fifth goal of the year to solidify the victory. Mangiarelli has 11 points on the season, which ranks her third on the team.
Freshman Danielle Cooper and Sophomore Meghan McGrath both added assists in the win. McGrath is first on the team in scoring with 15. SRU will face the California Vulcans at home today at 2:00 p.m. If SRU wins the game, it will clinch home field advantage for at least the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference quarterfinals.
In their first meeting, SRU beat Cal by a score of 3-0 at Cal.
"The girls know what they have to do in the next game," Herlihy said. "They are focused and ready to play. They know what is on the line."
