SOCCER SENDS MISSOURI HOME AFTER 2-1 OT BATTLE

Wednesday, November 3

San Antonio, Texas

TBA

Colorado

14-4-2

Missouri (Quarterfinal)

9-10-1

OT 2

Missouri

Colorado

November 03, 2004 | Soccer

Box Score

SAN ANTONIO - Tricia Regan's first career goal off Jessica Keller's first career assist with eight seconds remaining in regulation sent the third Big 12 Tournament opening round meeting between third-seeded Colorado and sixth seed Missouri into overtime where Katie Griffin drew a foul in the penalty area allowing Fran Munnelly to convert her second penalty kick of the season in the 98th minute to give the Buffs the stunning 2-1 victory over the Tigers at the Big 12 Soccer Tournament at the Blossom Soccer Complex here Wednesday night.

The win pits the Buffs against second-seeded Texas A&M, a 3-0 winner over Oklahoma State in the match preceding Colorado's, on Friday night in the tournament's second semifinal game. On the other side of the quarterfinal bracket, top-seeded Kansas handed eighth-seeded Iowa State a 4-1 loss and #4 Texas, shutout #5 Nebraska, 2-0.

"Tying a game with seconds left and winning on a penalty kick has never happened to me before," said head coach Bill Hempen. "Sometimes in overtime the ref puts his whistle away, that obviously wasn't the case tonight."

Colorado took the match's opening kickoff, and came out of the opening half with a scoreless tie despite Missouri keeping the Buffs on their heels the first 45 minutes of play.

After a pair of unanswered Missouri shots, a Fran Munnelly serve to Kathryn Grandinetti sent a blast within the 18 forced Laura Buehrig to make a diving save off the left post in the 10th minute. It would be the Buffs' last shot for the next thirty minutes and 16 seconds. In that span the Tigers took nine unanswered shots with four corners being Colorado's only opportunity for offense.

The Buffs threatened in the 40th minute when a game of give and go between Munnelly and Ellen Falender brought the Buffs within the 20, but was broken up by Lauren Grice. Seconds later a Maura Gentile cross from the right flank met up with Falander on the far post, but was cleared out to Minnis whose shot in the 40th went high. It would be CU's last attempt on goal as the half came to a close.

The Colorado defense stepped up to the challenge at several points during the first half. Missouri's Jennifer Nobis took the ball through the CU midfield before Darci Smerchek broke up the play just outside the 18 with the tackle and clear. Three minutes later Munnelly had one of her several clears from MU's Karen Bauer. In the 25th minute Munnelly would win a 1 v 1 battle with Nobis and take the clear.

At halftime the Tigers had outshot the Buffs 11-2, forcing Keller to make four saves to Buehrig's one. MU's 11 shots marked the second straight half that the Buffs allowed that much offense, as Nebraska had 11 attempts in the second half against the Buffs Friday in Lincoln in the regular season finale. The Buffs' just two shots is the least amount of offense to start the game this season bettering CU's single shot in the second half at Iowa State on Sept. 24.

"We were doing an okay job, but we had to match their intensity," said Hempen on the halftime conversations. "They're so hard to play against...and we had to go beyond that. And their (Missouri's) intensity didn't wane, we just created some chances to toe-poke one in."

Colorado came out of the halftime break with a sense of urgency, but a defensive miscue in the 56th minute resulted in a Colorado own goal, bringing Keller's scoreless streak to an end at a school record 465 minutes as the last time she was scored on was in the 35th minute of play against Baylor on Oct. 15. Missouri's Amber Swinehart's shot from the top of the 18 deflected off a CU defender's foot, sending the ball sailing and over Keller's head into the net.

The Buffs nearly tied the game in the 61st minute when an Allie True serve from the left flank found Ashlie Mihalcin in front of the net and she was unable to get the header off before Buehrig made the grab just shy of the goal line.

The Buffs' next best opportunity came in the 61st minute when Katie Griffin was served just inside the 18 and with Buehrig just feet from Griffin near the top of the18, Griffin blasted one that nailed Buehrig in the chest for her third save of the game.

The Colorado defense continued to keep the Buffs in the game, even late as freshman Brittany Dornseif who, with Keller pulled off the line, made a goal line save off the right post on a Melissa Peabody shot.

A bad throw-in by Grice in the 78th minute gave the Buffs a chance, when True took the ball and her cross was blocked out of bounds, setting up CU's seventh corner. The kick, taken by True was headed out and picked up by Munnelly whose putback went wide left. On the same possession Munnelly got a cross off in the 80th minute and Gentile's header went high.

"I knew if we kept doing what we were doing that we'd win," said True.

Colorado just couldn't capitalize on their late-game offense that presented eight offensive opportunities with four shots and four corner kicks in the last 20 minutes including back to back shots by Gentile and Jen Thais when a Missouri foul with 14 seconds remaining set up an Allie True direct free kick that nailed the crossbar, went back into play in front of the net where CU keeper Keller's shot was blocked and rebounded by Regan for the score with eight ticks remaining.

"It was crazy in there. Everyone was so hyped up at the end. And Allie calmed down and hit a bomb and I was just the beneficiary of the hard work," said Regan.

Missouri's Elyse Nikonchuk and Karen Bauer both took shots at Keller in the opening minutes of the overtime session, followed by two more Tiger shots and a corner kick in the 93rd minute. But it was Katie Griffin's tenacity on the right flank that set-up the game-winner.

"It was hard to play well against them," said Keller who made a career-high 10 saves tonight. "We had to play harder and match them, play tough and not make it pretty. We were determined not to lose to them for a third straight time."

True served Griffin on the right flank and Griffin was fouled and taken down by Ashley Gibbs from 30 yards out when Griffin got back up and brought the ball into the box when Gibbs got her from behind the second time, when referee Tim Debysingh signaled the penalty kick in the 98th minute.

Munnelly addressed the ball and put it past Buehrig into the center of the net, for her second pk of the season.

The Colorado/Texas A&M match will not be televised, but live updates will be provided on CUBuffs.com.

"Friday's game will be another one like this," said Hempen. "In tournament play you really need to dip into your reserves...they become more and more a factor."