Annie Lowry won't officially become a Division I women's soccer player until the fall.

When it comes to facing a higher level of competition, however, she's getting an early start.

The Butler senior will likely be the only high school player on the roster of the Steel City Sparks, a first-year Women's Premier Soccer League squad that begins its season May 22.

"It's a great amateur league and I want to experience what it's like to play with and against top-flight college players as soon as possible," Lowry said.

Lowry, who stands among the Golden Tornado's all-time career scorers with 84 goals and 122 points, is headed to James Madison University and a soccer program that's been to the NCAA Tournament six times in the past nine years.

The WPSL is an 18-team league that began in 1998. Its purpose is to develop highly competitive amateur women's soccer teams.

More than 80 former WPSL soccer players have gone on to play in the Women's United Soccer Association, a professional league.

The Sparks will have two or three WUSA players on their roster, along with a handful of West Virginia University players, three from North Carolina State, one from Mississippi and players from Akron, Duquesne, Pitt, Bowling Green and Purdue.

More than 70 players - all from the Pittsburgh area - will have tried to make the squad by the time final tryouts are concluded Saturday in New Castle.

"The purpose of our team is to give these girls a quality league to play in during the summer to keep their skills sharp," Sparks general manager Rich Serignese said. "It appears that Annie will be the only high school player on the team."

Because of the number of players trying out, the Sparks are planning to keep 30 and field an "A" team and a "B" team.

The "A" squad will play the team's 10-game regular season schedule, which consists of home and away games against the other members of the East Division: the Maryland Pepsi Pride, Massachusetts Stingers, New England Mutiny, Rhode Island Rays and Rochester Reign.

The Sparks' home games are May 22 vs. Maryland at Pine-Richland High School, June 5 vs. New England at Plum, June 12 vs. Massachusetts at Plum, June 26 vs. Rhode Island at Pine-Richland and July 10 vs. Rochester at Pine-Richland.

All home games begin at 7 p.m.

Butler graduate Meghan Schnur, who is completing her freshman year at the University of Connecticut, will be playing for the New England squad this season.

"She's staying in that area over the summer," Serignese said. "Annie will be playing against Meghan in our home game June 5 and we're going to try to promote that game heavily to get a lot of Butler people to the game."

Lowry is expected to see some action for the "A" squad, but will likely spend most of her on-field action with the "B" unit, which will play a series of eight to 10 exhibition games this summer.

Sites of those games include Westminster College, Geneva College, Slippery Rock University and Avonworth High School. A game will likely be played in Butler as well.

Cedar Rapids (Mich.) and South Bend (Ind.) will be joining the WPSL in 2005 and will field teams this year for exhibition play.

"I'm looking forward to the challenge of raising my level of play," Lowery said. "I'm not intimidated at all. I've stayed in good shape, and James Madison is sending me a summer workout program soon."

"I don't know if Annie will be physically ready for a full-game pounding of an "A" division game in this league," Serignese said. "But we'll see. She'll get on the field."

Erik Ingram, a former assistant soccer coach at the University of Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania director of the Coerver Coaching Method, a national program, will be the Sparks' head coach.

Ingram also coaches for the Beadling elite soccer program.