7th-RANKED SLIPPERY ROCK RALLIES FOR 4-3 WIN IN OVERTIME

Fighting Scots Squander Three Goal Lead

EDINBORO, PA - It had the makings of one of the biggest wins in Gary Kagiavas' coaching career. Instead, Wednesday's match against Slippery Rock will go down as one of the biggest heartbreaks for the veteran coach, and a learning experience for a young Edinboro squad.

Sarah Arsenault took a corner kick from Emma Wright and scored with 5 minutes 39 seconds gone in overtime to help seventh-ranked Slippery Rock rally for a 4-3 win over the upset-minded Fighting Scots. The victory boosts The Rock to 6-0-1 overall and 2-0-0 in PSAC West action. Edinboro falls to 2-3-1 and 0-1-0 in the PSAC West. The Rock is ranked first in the East Region while Edinboro is tenth.

Edinboro held a 3-0 lead with less than twenty minutes to play when Slippery Rock began its rally. Cheryl Wickerham scored at the 71:36 mark to make it 3-1. That would begin a stretch of three SRU goals in less than seven minutes. Arsenault notched her 10th goal of the young season, also from Wright, at 77:03 to make it 3-2. Sixty-eight seconds later The Rock knotted the score on Lauren Steele's unassisted goal after the Scots could not clear the ball in their end.

The Fighting Scots took the 3-0 lead on a pair of first half goals and another in the second half, against a Slippery Rock defense that had allowed just four goals all year. Freshman Kara Ciacchini (Erie, PA/McDowell) opened the scoring with her first career goal at 17:59, taking a crossing pass from redshirt freshman Ashley Pulman (LaSalle, ONT/Sandwich Secondary) and beating goalkeeper Karrine Riggins. Maura Sansone (Erie, PA/McDowell) made it 2-0 with an unassisted goal off a direct kick that bounced over Riggins' head at 34:23. Pulman scored her second goal of the season, thanks to a crossing pass from freshman Angie de Almeida (Gibsonia, PA/Pine-Richland) at 56:44.

Slippery Rock held a narrow 15-14 advantage in shots. Riggins finished with 8 saves, while Edinboro's Abbey Mortus (Fairview Park, OH/Fairview) had 4 saves.

Edinboro returns to action on Sunday, September 19 playing at Gannon in a 1:00 p.m. match.

~ Fighting Scots ~

Edinboro Athletic Press Release Index

Created on ... September 15, 2004