Kalamazoo Falls in 2005 MIAA Opener to Hope at Home by 0-2 Score
September 7, 2005
|
Kalamazoo Falls in 2005 MIAA Opener to Hope at Home by 0-2 Score September 7, 2005 |
The Kalamazoo College women's soccer team opened the 2005 MIAA season on Wednesday afternoon at home with a tough 0-2 loss to the defending conference champions of Hope College. The result gives the Hornets a record of 0-1-1 for the year (0-1 MIAA). Next, the team will travel to Memphis, Tennessee this coming weekend to face up against Agnes Scott College (GA) on Saturday 9/10 at 12:00noon and against Haverford College (PA) on Sunday 9/11 at 10:00am.
Against Hope, Kalamazoo had difficulty finding a rhythm on the field. For the first 10 minutes of the game, the Hornets actually controlled much of the play with an attractive 1- and 2-touch passing game through the midfield. Mid-way through the first half, however, the team lost its rhythm and instead began to play an unorganized, direct style which resulted in little or no possession of the ball. Hope, meanwhile, got on the scoreboard in the 31st minute when Linnae Klompmaker stole the ball from a K defender at the top of the 18-yard-box and fired a shot that tucked in just under the crossbar. Up by a 1-0 score, the Dutch gained confidence and began putting high pressure on the Kalamazoo end of the field, eventually posting 23 first-half shots (10 on goal). With just under 5 minutes remaining in the half, Hope again found the back of the net--this time, off a corner kick, when Lindsey Cole knocked in a miscleared ball off the goal line.
In the second half, the Hornets regained their composure and held the visiting Dutch scoreless for the remainder of the game. Stepping up their game a level, K played a relentless, tough style of defense throughout the second half. Hope's only real scoring chances came off of 2 shots fired from distance that hit the crossbar. Unfortunately, while the Hornets did a much better job of possessing the ball and actually played most of the half in Hope's end of the field, they had trouble mounting a credible attack and only put up 2 more second-half shots.
For the game, Kalamazoo's goalkeeper, sophomore Monisha Berkowski, posted 16 saves off 42 shots faced (18 shots on goal).