It usually does not matter where early round games in the NCAA Division II men's soccer tournament are held. There is not much of a homefield advantage for host teams because crowds are sparse.

Slippery Rock University coach Matt Thompson is hoping Rock fans will change that at 5 p.m. today when Slippery Rock takes on Mercyhurst in a first-round game at the Rock's N. Kerr Thompson Stadium.

Thompson is hoping enough Rock fans will pay the $5 student-ticket price to rock the stadium in his team's favor.

Last weekend at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference final at Slippery Rock, a crowd of 1,217 watched the 12th-seeded Rock upset No. 1 seed Millersville, 2-1.

"We actually had something of a home-field edge because of the crowd," Thompson said. "But our students didn't have to pay to get in and now, under the NCAA, everybody's got to have a ticket. I'm hoping a lot of those same fans can find $5 and will be back. Maybe some area youth teams will show up to help out."

Actually, he would like for fans to find $10. If Slippery Rock (17-3-1) tops Mercyhurst (14-5-1) it will take on either Millersville (17-2) or Charleston, W.Va., (17-3) in a second-round game at 2 p.m. Sunday. Charleston and Millersville play at 2 p.m. today. Those games are also at Slippery Rock.

The Rock advanced to the Atlantic Regional final last year before being edged by Millersville, 1-0. That playoff experience has proven invaluable this season, although the atmosphere surrounding the team has changed.

"Last year, we were the underdog and could just go out and play loose," Thompson said.

"This time, we're the No. 1 seed [among the four teams at Slippery Rock] and we have to change our mentality."

That does not mean Slippery Rock will change its game plan.

It will still play smothering defense -- it has outscored opponents, 45-15, this season -- and try to get the ball to two-time PSAC-West Player of the Year Jeremy Deighton, who topped the PSAC in scoring this fall with 17 goals and seven assists. Freshman Benjamin Lloyd has four goals and seven assists.

Greg Blum, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound junior from Ambridge, has been outstanding in goal with a 16-3-1 record, eight shutouts and 79 saves.

"We're strong up the middle," Thompson said. "We've got a good backbone from Greg in goal to Thomas Pool, Patrick Conley and Josh Gauger on defense to Shaun Reid and Mitch Walters at midfield to Jeremy Deighton and Iain Langstone at the fowards."

He also is quick to point out that Slippery Rock is a young team.

"We've got just four seniors on the roster, so the bulk of this team is going to be back next year," Thompson said.

While Mercyhurst is the No. 4 seed, the Lakers will be no pushover. Mercyhurst defeated Slippery Rock, 2-1, Oct. 27 and played it to a 1-1 draw in the PSAC semifinals before the Rock won in a shootout, 6-5.

"The thing that has made our team good this year is we can play a couple different ways," Thompson said. "We can pass the ball and play attractive soccer. We can play a long-ball type of game and we can play ugly. And we don't care which way we play."

One more thing, the Rock is 10-0 at home this year.

Two area women's teams are in the NCAA Division II playoffs that start tomorrow. California (16-5-1) plays West Virginia Wesleyan (13-6-1) at 1 p.m. at Kutztown with the winner playing Kutztown (15-5-2) at 1 p.m. Sunday. IUP (13-6-1) plays Gannon (10-7-1) at noon at West Chester with that winner playing West Chester (19-1-1) at noon Sunday.

In Division III, the Washington & Jefferson (12-6-2) women's team travels to Grand Rapids, Mich., for a 1:30 p.m. game tomorrow against Calvin (13-4-1). The Carnegie Mellon men (14-2-1) will entertain Thomas More (17-2-1) at 1:30 p.m. Saturday with the winner playing either Denison (12-4-3) or Medaille (17-2-2) at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Westminster senior Ryne Murray, an Upper St. Clair graduate, continues to collect preseason basketball honors.

A 6-foot-4 forward who averaged 20.2 points and 10.4 rebounds a game last season, he is a third-team pick on the D3Hoops.com preseason All-America team. He was also listed as a Division III preseason All-American in the Sporting News' College basketball Magazine.

Murray was the Presidents' Athletic Conference's Player of the Year last season.

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