SOCCER STUNS TEXAS 1-0

Friday, October 24

Austin, Texas

6:00 p.m.

Colorado

14-1-1, 7-0-1Big 12

Texas

10-7-0, 5-3-0Big 12

Colorado

Texas

October 24, 2003 | Soccer

Box Score

By: CUBuffs.com

AUSTIN, Texas - Colorado's season of firsts continued here Friday night when the Buffs picked up their first ever win over a Texas team handing the Longhorns their first home loss of the season 1-0 at Mike Myers Stadium off Katie Griffin's school record ninth goal of the season on CU's just fourth and final shot of the game.

A defensive battle for 90 minutes, Colorado improves to 14-1-1 overall, 7-0-1 in Big 12 play while Texas stands at 10-7/5-3 including a 1-5 mark against ranked programs. The score was the only final stat in CU's favor as the Buffs were outshot 14-4 and were on the short end of corners, 14-1.

Both teams traded possessions to start the game and Texas picked up its first of six first half corners in the sixth minute and Kelly McDonald's shot off a Nikki Thaden corner kick went just high of the crossbar. Colorado answered with a shot of its own in the 12th minute when Fran Munnelly had a burst of speed in the midfield, split the Longhorn defense, and brought the ball just outside of the penalty area and ripped a shot that was picked up by UT keeper Alex Gagarin for her first save of the game.

Texas' next shot on goal was a McDonald pass to Kati McBain in the 15th minute from the top of the penalty are and ricocheted off the crossbar. Keller came up with a great save off Texas' second corner when she broke through a pair of defenders to punch the ball out of the box.

Texas was more productive with its possessions than Colorado, and nearly scored off their fourth corner of the half in the 36th minute when a Nikki Thaden corner kick found Kati McBain and McBain's shot was saved by CU keeper Jessica Keller, but gave up a rebound on the save which went to Amy Burlingham, whose shot was cleared on the opposite post by Darci Smerchek, just shy of the goal line in a crowd of both teams.

The most dangerous chance for Colorado came in the 31st minute when Orly Ripmaster deflected the ball to Katie Griffin, who was running between two Texas defenders, just inside the penalty area and her first shot of the game went just wide of the right post.

As the first half wound down, Texas maintained its pressure in Colorado territory, but the Buffs were able to withstand the attack to go into halftime with a scoreless tie, its third of the season. After 45 minutes Texas had a 6-3 edge in shots and (as the league leader in the category) 6-1 domination in corners. CU's Keller was forced to make one save to Gagarin's two.

Texas had Colorado on its heels to start the second half and forced two more corners in the first five minutes, and got one more shot off. Colorado didn't penetrated the Texas box until the seventh minute of the half where play went up and down between Munnelly, Griffin and Kathryn Grandinetti before Thaden cleared the ball.

An Ashlie Mihalcin foul on Wilson on the left flank in the 55th minute allowed a restart on a Texas free kick which was headed on the far post by Carrie Schmit which went just wide of the post. Two minutes later, McDonald split the defense off the left post and slotted the ball to Burlingham who one-timed the opportunity just high of the crossbar.

After nine minutes of defense, the Buffs broke through the UT defense for just the second time of the half in the 61st minute when an Alyssa Burgess cross from the right flank just missed Grandinetti, who had slipped eight yards out, missing the offensive opportunity.

On Texas' lone defensive breakdown of the second half, Griffin held on to the ball at the top of the box, worked her way through three Texas defenders, and with Gagarin trying to cut down the angle, placed a low ball into the middle of the net for her school record ninth goal of the season in the 69th minute of the match.

In the last five minutes of the game, Texas took five corners and three shots in trying for the equalizer. On UT's 10th corner of the game, a shot by McDonald hit the crossbar and came straight down before Julie Gailey got the follow-up shot which sailed high. The Longhorns continued to battle through the closing seconds with CU's defense preserving the win in the final seconds.

Colorado's final regular season road game will be decided Sunday at ninth-ranked Texas A&M who played No. 22 Nebraska tonight.