Colorado
6-6-1
Northern Arizona
4-9-0
Soccer Picks Up Second Straight Win
October 13, 2002 | Soccer
BOULDERÂ - Alyssa Burgess net her first goal of the season, first career game-winner, in the 49th minute as Colorado won its second straight game with a 2-1 victory over non-conference opponent Northern Arizona here Sunday.
With the win, Colorado improves to .500 for the second time this season and sits at 6-6-1. Northern Arizona dropped its second match of their Centennial State swing and fall to 4-9 overall.
"It's good to have a game with a good performance to boost us into next week," said head coach Bill Hempen on the Buffs' final non-conference game of the season. "Emotionally, It's good to take a break from the intensity of the Big 12."
To say that the Buffs dominated the game's first half would be an understatement as CU outshot Northern Arizona 12-2 in the opening stanza, including the game's first nine. The Buffs' nearly capitalized on their fifth attempt, when Ellen Falender served a perfect cross from the corner of the field in front of the net where Tiffany Booth's point-blank shot went just high of the net.
Falender would make up for the missed opportunity and capitalize on her next attempt off a Fran Munnelly free kick that deflected off an NAU defender, with Falender on the follow-up. But Northern Arizona would take advantage of their only two shots in the opening half. Shelby Gould took a free kick from 15 yards out, right at CU keeper Sara Erskine who jumped and tipped the ball while making the save. The ball deflected to Erskine's left where Brandy Johnson took the rebound off the right post, placing the ball in the right corner of the net.
The Buffs would take a tied game into the halftime intermission, and would come out of the break with the same offensive mindset that they had going in.
Aimee Bugay would come up from the backfield for a strong header off a Fran Munnelly corner in the 46th minute that would be snatched by NAU keeper Andrea Berra on the left post. Less than two minutes later, a combination play between Burgess and Munnelly would result in Burgess' first goal of the season, first career game-winner in the 49th minute of play.
"I was working hard and running after the ball, and that was basically it. Fran had a nice wall pass. I was hoping that it would hit the net clean, but fortunately it ricocheted in," explained Burgess.
Munnelly tried to give the Buffs a two-goal cushion in the 61st minute when she took the ball from NAU defender Tschana Breslin and traveled approximately 75 yards for a shot that Berra was able to get her hands on. Four minutes later Meghan Swanzy and Falender challenged Berra on back-to-back shots without a result. The Buffs' last legitimate chance at a score was on an Emily Barnes shot in the 75th minute that hit the crossbar and continued high.
Northern Arizona's first shot of the second half was in the 79th minute when an Adria Barchi shot from the left side of the penalty area sailed across the mouth of the net where Erskine got a hand on the ball and tipped it just wide of the net. Two straight NAU corners followed without the Lumberjacks capitalizing on the offensive surge. NAU also had the game's last two shots with a Shelby Gould shot going high and a Kori Moore shot with 22 seconds to play was stopped by Erskine.
"Any win gives us confidence and we need it to finish our last six games," said Falender.
Following today's non-conference break, the Buffs continue Big 12 play at Baylor Friday and at Texas Tech Sunday. A year ago the Buffs suffered a 3-0 shutout in Waco before notching their first league win, a 2-1 victory, in the season finale in Lubbock, Texas.
Team Stats
Falender,Ellen (2)
Assisted By: Munnelly,Fran
23:31
Johnson, Brandy
Assisted By: Gould, Shelby
30:51
Burgess,Alyssa (1)
Assisted By: Munnelly,Fran
48:43
