By RANDY GONZALES

rgonzales@dailynews.net

ROSE HILL -- Set pieces have been a piece of cake for the Thomas More Prep-Marian boys' soccer team this season.

The Monarchs have scored numerous times on corner kicks, free kicks and throw-ins while defending them with ease.

But set pieces by Rose Hill proved to be the difference in Monday night's Class 4-3-2-1A state quarterfinals. Both teams scored one goal in the run of play, but TMP-Marian conceded goals on two throw-ins and one on a corner kick in a 4-1 loss.

Rose Hill (16-1), ranked second in the state, advances to Friday's state semifinals at Towanda-Circle. TMP-Marian (12-7) watches its historic season come to an end.

"Set pieces," TMP-Marian coach Shawn Lawson said. "All year, we haven't been exposed on set pieces."

Rose Hill, last year's state runner-up, scored in the eighth minute on junior Jace Dinkel's long throw-in into the box. The Monarchs couldn't clear the ball, and senior Josh Campbell got a foot on it and put it in the net for a 1-0 lead.

The Rockets had two more quality scoring chances before TMP-Marian leveled the score. In the 23rd minute, Rose Hill senior Ramsey Khalidi's hard shot was deflected by TMP-Marian sophomore goalkeeper Drew O'Brien. The ball then bounced off the cross bar before being grabbed by O'Brien. In the 27th, O'Brien got his hands on a shot by Rocket junior Juan DeLuna-DeLeon, deflecting the ball off the cross bar before the defense cleared it.

The Monarchs got the equalizer in the 28th minute from junior midfielder Rogelio Gonzalez.

His hard shot from 20 yards out beat Rose Hill junior keeper Tyler Cox inside the near post. It was Gonzalez's team-leading 17th goal of the season.

Even though his side had just tied the match, Lawson was concerned.

"I was still worried," he said. "Still in my mind, I was thinking, can we score goals? I didn't know if we could keep that up."

Rose Hill made it 2-1 at halftime on a goal by Khalidi on another throw-in by Dinkel in the 32nd minute.

"Today, we weren't marking up on the back side," Monarch senior defender Nathan Lawson said.

Rose Hill made it a two-goal game early in the second half. Khalidi scored again, this time on a corner kick taken by sophomore Jake Sutton in the 49th minute.

The Rockets put the game away in the 62nd minute. Senior Josh Aubuchon's long shot tucked inside the post as O'Brien slipped and fell while going after the ball.

In the final minutes, both sides substituted liberally, lifting the keepers and getting backups on the pitch.

"They were a good team; they executed when they needed to," Nathan Lawson said. "They've got a good chance to win state."

For TMP-Marian, the Monarchs lose four seniors, three starters on varsity.

"Guys we're losing is a big loss," said Coach Lawsdon, who added the program lost a big group of seniors last year and had a record-breaking season.

"This is the best team I ever played with in my life," Nathan Lawson said.

"We weren't a selfish team; that's what made us quality.

"Next year, I think they'll be even better," he added.

TMP-Marian won a regional championship for the first time in the program's five-year history, beating perennial power Wichita-Trinity last week to advance to the state quarterfinals Monday night, another first.

"That, for me, was the highlight," of the season, Coach Lawson said of the result against Wichita-Trinity. "It would be great to move on, but I wanted that under our belts."

Match notes

The four goals were the most in a game in which O'Brien has started since a Sept. 22 match against St. John's Military, when the Monarchs substituted liberally in an 11-4 win. ... The Monarchs' goal was the 11th allowed by Rose Hill in 17 games. ... Rose Hill has nine shutouts, as did TMP-Marian. ... The nine clean sheets for the Monarchs sets a program record; TMP-Marian had five shutouts last season. ... Rose Hill, in its 25th anniversary season of boys' soccer, has finished second at state twice (2008 and 2005), took third three times and won nine regional titles. ... Gonzalez finished with 17 goals, one more than junior striker Teddy Kang, who missed four games with a foot injury. ... Kang still has the school record, with 21 goals last season. ... O'Brien finished his second year as the starting goalkeeper with a 0.97 goals-against average and an .839 saves percentage. He made four saves against the Rockets. ... The Monarchs won 12 games this year, best in school history; the previous best record was 8-8 last season. ... TMP-Marian had 15 juniors on the roster Monday night. The Monarchs started three seniors, six juniors and two sophomores against Rose Hill. ... TMP-Marian's loss to Rose Hill was its first against a 4-3-2-1A school this season.