The Rocket

Issue date: 11/21/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Steve Reed Junior midfielder Melissa Sharek runs against Mercyhurst on Oct. 21. Sharek started 22 games this season. [Click to enlarge]

A tough opponent and a driving snowstorm stopped SRU women's soccer team (14-7-1) in its tracks before they could make it out of the Atlantic Regional of the NCAA Division II soccer playoffs.

Sunday's 3-0 loss against Mercyhurst College (14-4-4) was the fourth loss this season to the Lakers, the first since a 5-2 loss on Nov. 4 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference playoffs.

This time, the final score sent the Rock home for the winter with a lot of what-ifs and frustration.

All of the players and coaches agreed the final score was in no way indicative of the talent that was on the field or the way the game was played.

The game started with a lot of back and forth, with the teams trading long runs and scoring opportunities.

The Rock sent several long passes to freshman midfielder Alyssa Barrett, and the Mercyhurst defenders had difficulty keeping up.

SRU was unable to capitalize on any of those offensive chances, and the Lakers snuck a goal behind senior keeper Sarah Lacy with only 58 seconds left in the first half, a goal that, according to sophomore midfielder Ali Hindley, shifted the feel of the game.

"That goal really was killer," Hindley said. "It would have meant so much to even be tied going in at the half."

The Rock thought they had taken a 1-0 lead earlier in the half when Barrett found the back of the net off a long volley.

But the play was called offside and the goal was nullified.

"[It was] a rather dubious call, I thought," junior midfielder Linda Schirmeister said. "We could have been up one-nil going to half instead of down."

The other players, including Hindley and sophomore defender Dana Kiger, said that it was a borderline call they've seen the referees let go in other situations.

Continued...

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