Kalamazoo Outshoots Olivet, but Falls to Comets in 1-0 Heartbreaker on the Road
September 17, 2005
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Kalamazoo Outshoots Olivet, but Falls to Comets in 1-0 Heartbreaker on the Road September 17, 2005 |
Despite posting almost 50 percent more shots than Olivet, the Kalamazoo College women's soccer team fell to the Comets by a heartbreaking 1-0 score on the road on Saturday 9/17. The loss drops Kalamazoo to 2-3-1 for the year (1-2 MIAA). The team will next play host to league-rival Calvin College on Tuesday 9/20 at MacKenzie Field (4:00pm).
In the first half, the Hornets held a distinct advantage in time of possession, and generated more offensive opportunities than did Olivet (K had a 10-6 shots advantage for the first half, and actually hit the post on one shot opportunity). Unfortunately, K also gave the ball away 15 times to Olivet's 6, and thus had trouble keeping the ball once they advanced toward Olivet's goal area. Olivet played an incredibly flat defensive formation, but Kalamazoo had trouble figuring out how to get into the space behind the Comets' restraining line. Instead, the Hornets spent most of the half playing the ball around easily in the midfield, and then finding themselves thwarted by Olivet's speedy central defender Stacey Stickney whenever they played leading balls into the attacking 1/3 of the field.
After making a few adjustments at the halftime break, Kalamazoo entered the second period with a renewed sense of urgency to score a goal. The team again took an advantage in the category of shots (9-7 in the second half), but Comet goalkeeper Bre Bath-Simonsen made some spectacular saves and did a great job of cutting off multiple crossed balls and corner kicks inside the 6-yard-box. Finally, Olivet earned the game's lone goal in the 72nd minute of play, when Comet sophomore forward Shannah Fisher beat Kalamazoo goalkeeper Monisha Berkowski from the right side of the 18-yard-box with a low driven shot that hit the left side-netting of the goal.
The Hornets pushed hard to get an equalizer for the final 15 minutes of play, but couldn't capitalize. In the final 10 seconds of the game, Kalamazoo defender Kari Brodsky made a run up the center of the field, received the ball and headed to goal, only to be fouled hard just outside the Comet 18-yard-box with 5 seconds left to play. When the clock hit 3 seconds, the assistant linesman signaled for the clock to be stopped. The Hornet players, hearing the ceased countdown, believed they had time to set up a free kick, and stepped back to plan. Meanwhile, Olivet's coach yelled for the score table to re-start the clock, which they did. The final 3 seconds ticked off the clock before the Kalamazoo players understood what had happened, and the game ended amidst controversy.
For the day, the Hornets held a 19-13 advantage in shots and a 4-2 advantage in corner kicks. The Hornets were also out-fouled by the Comets (16-13 for the game). Berkowski posted 9 saves off Olivet's 13 shots (10 shots on goal).