COLORADO SOCCER BLANKS NORTHERN COLORADO 4-0 IN EXHIBITION PLAY

Wednesday, August 20

Boulder, Colo.

3:00 p.m.

Colorado

Northern Colorado (Exhibition)

Photo by: CUBuffs.com

COLORADO SOCCER BLANKS NORTHERN COLORADO 4-0 IN EXHIBITION PLAY

August 20, 2003 | Soccer

By: CUBuffs.com

By Colleen Reilly Krueger
Associate Sports Information Director

BOULDER - Junior midfielder Jen Thais' converted penalty kick in the sixth minute of play started a Colorado four-goal first half, as the Buffs defeated Northern Colorado 4-0 in their first of two exhibition games here Wednesday.

'A win . . . . it was really just a chance for us to compete,' said head coach Bill Hempen. 'Anytime you score a goal in this game, you've got to be pleased. We don't score four goals in a game very often and to get four goals from four different players was great.'

Thais' penalty kick, which sailed over UNC keeper Shanna Swinehart, was the result of the Bears' Jeanna Andrew's foul on CU forward Kathryn Grandinetti in the box.

'The goal felt really good, but it was Kathryn's hard work that got us the goal,' said Thais.

Sophomore Tricia Regan's header off a Grandinetti corner kick in the 11th minute to put the Buffs' up 2-0 without allowing a shot by the Bears. It was Grandinetti's turn in the 19th minute as she took a Katie Griffin pass inside the box and won the one-on-one battle with Swinehart, laying the ball in the left side of the net.

Grandinetti would pick up her fourth point of the game when she and Thais collaborated on a Jessica Ceresino goal in the 35th minute to close out the first half, and inevitably, CU's scoring run.

'The win is awesome. It feels really good and is a great way to start the season, but we still have some work to do,' said Grandinetti. 'I knew that transferring (from Kentucky) in I would have to earn the respect of the team. I just wanted to work hard for them, knowing that they will hard for you.'

The Colorado defense kept UNC scoreless the first half and prevented the Bears from taking a shot in the first 45 minutes of play while dominating the field with nine shots and a pair of corners. The second half saw a much different game, as the Bears forced CU keeper Nikki Resnick to make four saves, but still only got five shots off CU's last line while the Buffs got off 10.

'The effects of preseason came shining through in the second half" it wasn't as crisp,' added Hempen.

The Buffs' exhibition season continues Friday, Aug. 22 at the United States Air Force Academy. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. Colorado opens the regular season, Friday, Aug. 29 against defending national champion Portland in a 4 p.m. kickoff at Boulder's Pleasant View Soccer Complex.