Comeback Falls Short In 3-1 Loss To Arizona State

Sunday, September 3

Tempe, Ariz.

TBA

Colorado

0-3-0

Arizona State

3-0-0

Colorado

Arizona State

September 03, 2000 | Soccer

Box Score

By: Lindsay Lew, Assistant Director

TEMPE, Ariz. - The University of Colorado women's soccer team (0-3) came from behind to tie the game 1-1, but could not hold off Arizona State (3-0) in the second half, falling 3-1 in the Arizona State Sun Devil Soccer Classic here Sunday evening.

"I thought we played our best 90 minutes of the year, but we made some mistakes and they capitalized on them," said head coach Austin Daniels. "While we're not happy with a loss, I thought the effort was great. We have to do better winning the ball. I think they created their opportunities for scoring chances because they were winning the ball and we have to do a better job at that."

Arizona State got on the scoresheet first when junior all-American Stacey Tullock won a clearance by CU keeper Sara Erskine, which she shot and Erskine knocked clear of the goal. ASU's Patrice Feulner ran onto the clearance and finished her shot in the left upper-ninety at the 7:03 mark.

The Buffs evened the score in the 38th minute, when sophomore forward Jessi Burgener headed home her first career goal off a service from sophomore midfielder Heather Zonker. Burgener was fouled in the ASU half near midfield, and Zonker took the free kick, which she played to the far post. Burgener headed the ball just under the crossbar, out of the reach of Sun Devil's keeper Erin Reinke.

ASU outshot the Buffs 10-6 in the first half, with Erskine pulling in four saves to two saves for the Sun Devils. Burgener's goal was the first of the season for Colorado, and was .the first goal of her collegiate career. Zonker's assist was the fifth of her career.

Arizona State came out of the half charging, notching the game-winning goal on a breakaway. Tullock broke away from the CU defense and was dispossessed by CU defender Aimee Bugay. The ball rolled to Feulner, who rocketed a shot past a diving Erskine with just under 40 minutes to play. Holly Cohen scored the third and final goal for ASU off assists from Haley van Bloomestein and Holly Cohen at the 71:21 mark.

"We have to get organized in the back," said CU keeper Erskine, who pulled in nine total saves in her first career start for the Buffs. "Stacey Tullock was able to run free, and that was kind of her role, to get open and stay open and we had a hard time tracking her. More communication in the back is going to help us on that end of the field. We also did some really good things, but we just need to finish. Burgener did a great job finishing that ball, and we need more of that kind of urgency in front of the goal."

Colorado will return to action on Friday, Sept. 8 when they host Cornell in their 2000 home opener at 4:00 p.m. at Pleasant View Soccer Complex in North Boulder. The friendly confines of PVSC will be a welcome sight to the Buffs, as they are 0-3 on the year, the second time CU has opened the season 0-3 (1997, ASU, Florida, Nebraska) in their five-year history.