Democrat Photos by Frank Rizzo THIS SEQUENCE FROM Friday’s game in Livingston Manor shows T-V goalie Megan Sheeley stopping Tegan Kern of Livingston Manor (5) in action in front of the Bear net. Heidi Manell (18) of Tri-Valley is among the onlookers.

Wildcats Miss Final
Opportunities

By Frank Rizzo
LIVINGSTON MANOR — October 3, 2000 – “Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda” was the subtitle of the non-league soccer match Friday afternoon in the Manor, as the host Lady Wildcats fell to old Western Sullivan League (WSL) rival Tri-Valley 3-1.
Through much of the first half, the Wildcats took advantage of what T-V coach Mary Feusner called her team’s “sluggish play” and garnered the initiative on offense.
Midway through the opening half Amy Krupp came close to scoring, beating Bear keeper Megan Sheeley with a shot that caromed off the cross bar.
Bridget Ellison, operating on the wings, penetrated again and again to send dangerous crossing passes into the Bear goal area.
On three of those occasions, Tegan Kern came close to converting.
It was only later in the half that the Bears began to organize their attack, and at 9:38 were rewarded with a goal: Jamie Kenney blasted a direct kick which goaltender Ashley Bowers deflected. Heidi Manell rose up to head the deflection downward, and Heather Krom was in perfect position to bang it into an unprotected net.
Just 5:25 into the second half Tri-Valley was whitled for an infraction and Megan Roser stepped up to the penalty kick line. Her blast, however, sailed just high and afterward the Manor offense seemed to be deflated.
Tri-Valley took the initiative and pressed insistently against the Manor backline.
At 22:53, Emily Moore’s pass found the foot of Krom for a 2-0 T-V lead.
A short while later Moore earned another assist when Lis Lowe converted her ball and floated it over Bowers.
Manor broke the shutout at 10:24, when Ellison sent a hard shot at Sheeley. The keeper could not hold on and Krupp kicked the loose ball past her.
The Wildcats actually had the better of play over the final minutes and missed chances to close the gap.
The stat sheet showed T-V with a 20-10 edge in shots and 2-1 in corner kicks. Bowers had 13 saves while Sheeley made seven.
“We redeemed ourselves in the second half,” Feusner commented. “[My girls] thought it’d be an easy game and did not get out there with enough intensity. Maybe they were looking beyond this game.”
Manor coach Shirlee Davis liked the way her team bounced back from what she called a “demoralizing” league loss to Sullivan West/Narrowsburg the previous Wednesday.
“Today was a much better game. “We’re young, and we’re learning how to finish off plays and work better together,” she commented.
Davis noted that her team is inexperienced as well as injury-plagued.
“It seems like every time I get a player back I lose another,” she said. “I would like to see how we develop in the second half of the season.