No. 11 Soccer Tops Oklahoma 2-1 in Big 12 Opener

Friday, September 22

Boulder, Colo.

4 p.m.

Colorado

Oklahoma

Photo by: Chip Bromfield, ProMotion Ltd.

September 22, 2006 | Soccer

Box Score

By: Aaron Lopez, Denver Nuggets

BOULDER - The No. 11 University of Colorado women's soccer team got out to a two goal lead and never looked back, topping the University of Oklahoma by a score of 2-1 in CU's Big 12 opener here Friday afternoon at Prentup Field.

Two Colorado veterans got their first goals of the season to lead the Buffaloes, who are continuing the best start in school history with a record of 6-1-1 overall, now 1-0 in conference play for the fifth time. Allison Kidd and Allie True netted their first tallies of 2006, and they could not have come at a more opportune time in what was a wide open game.

"Oklahoma gave us plenty of room to move around," said CU head coach Bill Hempen. "As you get closer to the goal and advance it has to be a more precise pass. In the goal scoring area we needed to have better and better passes. We eventually got better and it ended in some chances for us."

Colorado owned the majority of possession and offensive chances in the early going, but they did not capitalize until there was less than one minute remaining in the first half. The Buffs earned a corner kick on the right side of the field, which Kidd stepped up to take. She hit a hard, bending ball, which bent around the near post and into the net. An Oklahoma player tried to clear it out, but the ball had already crossed the goal line while it was in the air and the Buffs were rightfully awarded the goal at the 44:21 mark.

"The linesman put up his flag really fast and dashed own the field and so that meant it went in," said Kidd. "I thought to myself, 'Thank God,' because I saw it go in so I'm glad he saw it too."

CU would get to halftime with a slim 1-0 lead on the scoreboard but a decisive statistical advantage on the box score. Colorado managed 16 first half shots to Oklahoma's two, with three corner kicks to OU's one. Kara Linder did not have to make any saves in the first half, while OU's Jennifer Nichols made one. Fouls were even at four apiece.

The Buffaloes did not wait too long to get an insurance goal in the second half. Senior Laura Munnelly lofted a long cross into the box from right to left, which freshman Nikki Marshall got on the end of, heading it back and down into the penalty area to True. The senior midfielder placed a firm shot back across the net, well out of the reach of Nichols, to make it a 2-0 lead at the 56:23 mark.

Colorado's two goal lead was short lived. Following a CU foul, OU's Lauren Harris stepped up and stroked a brilliant free kick from 35 yards out and beat Linder high and to her left to make it 2-1 less than 20 seconds after True's goal, to make it 2-1 at 56:42.

"Going up two, I think we just exhaled and I'm not so happy with the goal we gave up," said Hempen. "They did a good job of scouting us. They saw the BYU game where we gave up a similar goal."

"That girl hit an amazing free kick," said Munnelly. "Other than that, I think (the defense) did really well, getting back and covering for each other. I think this is a good test for us and for all the younger players. They got a little taste. Every game will be like this. I think we did really well."

CU nearly got another goal with under three minutes to play. Marshall raced through the Sooner defense and beat OU's Nichols, but her hard shot went just high, hitting off the bottom of the crossbar and bouncing too far clear for her to get a second shot off. The Buffaloes ended the game with 28 shots, six of which were on goal, to OU's six shots, two of which were on goal. Kirstin Radlinski recorded a single save after she replaced Linder with 20 minutes to play. Each team finished with nine fouls.

Colorado now leads the series with Oklahoma 6-4-1, winning the last two in a row. Marshall has a goal or a point in six straight games, dishing out assists in each of the past two contests. Kidd's goal was the 18th of her career, while True netted her fourth.

The Buffaloes will now take Saturday morning to train before heading to Stillwater, Okla., to take on the Oklahoma State Cowgirls. It's CU's first one day turnaround trip of two they will take this season. Last year, Colorado topped OSU 1-0 on a Katie Griffin goal in Boulder. Munnelly expects the Buffs to rise to the challenges presented by the quick travel and the Cowgirls.

"I've been doing it for three years, and (the travel) is a little bit of a challenge but it will be interesting to see how the younger players adjust," said Munnelly. "That's what's so great about the Big 12. Every game is a battle, every game the other team will give all they have. All the teams are like this. I love the Big 12."

The Oklahoma State game will kickoff at noon mountain time on Sunday, Sept. 24. CU will then travel to Lincoln, Neb., to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers next Friday, Sept. 29 at 3 p.m. MDT. The Buffs will then return home to take on Wyoming at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 1 at Prentup Field. Admission and parking at all CU regular season home game is free.