SOCCER SHUTS OUT OU 4-0 ON SENIOR DAY

Friday, October 22

Boulder, Colo.

3 PM

Colorado

11-4-2, 4-3-1Big 12

Oklahoma

6-7-3, 2-6-0Big 12

Oklahoma

Colorado

October 22, 2004 | Soccer

Box Score

By: CUBuffs.com

BOULDER - Senior Jen Thais opened Colorado's scoring in the 15th minute while classmate Shannon Kellogg netted the game's final in the 87th, and both joined classmate Ellen Falender in making the most of the program's annual Senior Day, blanking Oklahoma 4-0 in their final home game in front of 572 fans on campus at Prentup Field here Friday.

The win secures the Buffs a spot in next month's Big 12 Tournament, as the top eight teams in the league advance to the postseason championship, gives the Buffs their third straight "W" and improves CU to 11-4-2 overall/4-3-1 in Big 12 play. Struggling to make their way to San Antonio, the Sooners drop their third straight and fall to 6-7-3/2-6-0.

"Oklahoma plays a different kind of style, so we had to wait our turn. We had a lot of chances in the first half and stepped it up in the second," said head coach Bill Hempen.

Colorado dominated from the opening kickoff, outshooting Oklahoma 26-8, forcing three Sooner keepers to make a combined 11 saves to Jessica Keller's five en route to tying her own single season and career record ninth shutout.

Oklahoma opened the offense, with Andrea Hurley taking two of the Sooner's three shots in the first 10 minutes to CU's lone shot by Thais, who took a game high five. Katie Griffin took aim at starting keeper Catherine Wade as did Fran Munnelly before Thais took the ball outside the 18, made a move to the right and her shot from the right corner of the box went into the lower 90 in the 15th minute. "Every game and every win is good for our confidence," said Thais.

The Sooners responded with their last shot of the half less than two minutes later. It would be the last shot for the visitors over the next 45 minutes.

The Buffs would be on the offensive the remainder of the opening stanza with seven unanswered attempts at goal, including an Ashlie Mihalcin from above the elbow of the 18 on the right side to Fran Munnelly on the left post whose one-timed shot was called off sides as Wade was falling on the ball. With less than a minute in the half, Munnelly went 30 yards on the left flank when her cross to Aubrey Brown went high over the right post on Brown's first career shot.

Thais would pick up her third point of the game when her shot against reserve Jennifer Nichols in the 52nd minute rebounded off Nichols and fell to Kathryn Grandinetti who had the putback for her first goal of the season just six ticks later.

Nichols would give up several more rebounds on the CU attack, before Mihalcin capitalized on a punched out cross from Thais in the 84th minute for her team-leading eighth goal of the season.

With substitutes on the sideline waiting to give the seniors their ceremonial exit from the pitch, Kellogg took Thais' third serve of the game and chipped the ball over Nichols for her second score of what is likely the last season for senior academically, junior in eligibility. "I can't believe that it's over," said Kellogg on the careers of the three. "It's been so much fun. We've been through a lot together and now it's time to move on.

Colorado closes out the regular season slate with a pair of matches away from Boulder, beginning with a 12 noon (MT) kickoff at Oklahoma State on Sunday in Stillwater, Okla. The regular season finale is Friday, Oct. 29 at Nebraska.

"(Playing at Colorado) has been more than I ever expected it to be," added Falender. "We've had our ups and downs, but it's been an awesome experience. We've deserved what we worked for."

"If we play the way we've played in the last three games, we could win it (the Big 12 Tournament). It's all about heart and I think we can win if we want to," concluded Kellogg.