Kalamazoo Edged in OT by 2-1 Score at the Hands of Manchester College (IN) in Season-Opener
September 2, 2006
|
Kalamazoo Edged in OT by 2-1 Score at the Hands of Manchester College (IN) in Season-Opener September 2, 2006 |
The Kalamazoo College women's soccer team lost a tough overtime battle with a talented Manchester College (IN) squad on Saturday 9/2, eventually falling by a 2-1 score after coming from behind to tie the score and send the contest into OT.
The two teams played a relatively evenly-matched first half, and neither team was able to find the back of the net. Manchester out-shot Kalamazoo by a slim 7-4 margin in the first half of play, with its best opportunities coming in the first 15 minutes while Kalamazoo struggled to find a rhythm. Midway through the half, however, Kalamazoo began to dominate play and the ball remained in Manchester's half of the field as the Hornets mounted a few dangerous attacks. As Manchester's frustration mounted, they out-fouled the Hornets by a 6-2 margin in the remainder of the first half.
Entering the second half, Kalamazoo attempted to maintain the momentum that had shifted in its favor by the end of the previous period. In the 58th minute, however, Manchester's Stacey Jerke made a run into the right-hand side of the Hornet 18-yard-box and received a gorgeous slotted pass from teammate Alicia Krueckeberg. Jerke took a touch and then shot the ball high and to the left, past an outstretched Kassie Johnston in net for Kalamazoo. The Hornets responded well, though, and during the next 15+ minutes, the team raised its intensity level and battled to get back into the game. Meanwhile, interestingly, Manchester actually began to look tired. Finally, after numerous thwarted attempts near the Spartan goal, Kalamazoo struck gold in the 76th minute. Freshman midfielder Katie Manstrom, having moved up top into the forward position a few minutes earlier, beat her defender down the right side of the field and served up a driven ball toward the Spartan 6-yard-line. Junior forward Aliza Caplan was there to connect, and put the ball into the back of the net. Neither team was able to score in the final minutes of regulation, and the game was sent into overtime.
The play was relatively even during overtime, with each team mounting a few good, credible attacks. Unfortunately, Kalamazoo's attacks only resulted in 1 shot, with most of them being crossed-ball opportunities that snuck through the Spartan box untouched. Manchester, however, managed to put up 3 more shots in the first OT period. With just 24 seconds remaining before the teams went to break between periods, Spartan forward Paige Koomler hit what appeared to be an innocent cross into the Hornet box. It sailed extremely high up in the air, but dipped suddenly and before Hornet keeper Kassie Johnston could adjust it snuck into the upper 90 on the right side of the goal, ending the game.
The Hornets will play again tomorrow against Benedictine Univ. (IL) at 12:00pm in each team's second game of the 2006 Hornet/Briton Classic. Each team enters the game with a 0-1-0 record, with Benedictine having lost to Albion College (MI) by a 6-0 score in the second game of the tournament on Saturday.