SOCCER PLAYS GEORGIA TO SCORELESS TIE

Friday, August 27

Athens, Ga.

5 p.m.

Colorado

0-0-1

Georgia

0-0-1

OT 3

OT 4

Colorado

Georgia

Photo by: CUBuffs.com

August 27, 2004 | Soccer

Box Score

By: CUBuffs.com

ATHENS, Ga. - The 23rd-ranked University of Colorado soccer team had to settle for the third scoreless tie in program, and second in the series, history in Friday's season opener at Georgia as both teams battled it out for 110 minutes under the lights in front of 1,730 fans at the Georgia Soccer Stadium.

It's the first time in nine seasons that the Buffs have opened with a game being decided in an overtime session and the second straight against Georgia as last year's meeting in Boulder concluded when then-CU freshman Katie Griffin netted the golden goal in the 93rd minute in each team's second game of the season.

"The whole team is extremely disappointed. There's never a good tie, but the travel combined with a night game and good crowd was a good experience. I would rather a win, but it wasn't a loss," said assistant coach Paul Hogan, who assumed coaching responsibilities in the opener as head coach Bill Hempen returned to Boulder late Thursday night after attending the funeral of his father in St. Louis. "We're beat up mentally and played too much into their hands (a kick and run game). It was a different game than last year's and our kids did a great job. This time around it was a much more physical game and the crowd got frenzied."

Colorado dominated the first half both statistically and physically, taking six shots while holding Georgia to three in the first 45 minutes of play.

On the Buffs' second shot of the game, Kathryn Grandinetti's attempt to make it a 1-0 contest in the 21st minute nailed the crossbar. Georgia nearly capitalized on a long shot by Erin Sekerak in the 28th minute was punched out by CU keeper Jessica Keller. Georgia registered a crossbar of its own when Darci Smerchek battled UGA's Elizabeth Metherell on the baseline before forcing Metherell forced a Bulldog corner in the 30th minute and her cross to Joni Vickers rebounded off the crossbar. Five minutes later Colorado rallied when a Fran Munnelly pass from midfield to Allie True on the right flank was served to Katie Griffin who met a header attempt with UGA keeper Ashley Lindley at the same time. The rebounded ball fell into the possession of CU freshman Maura Gentile whose shot was blocked just feet from the goal line by the Bulldog's Marliee Eback.

Georgia would "win" the second half of play as the Bulldogs outshot CU 5-3 in the second stanza forcing Keller to make two of her three saves as the Bulldogs took the last four shots of regulation in an eight-minute span, with playing stopping three times in that period for injury timeouts, including stops for Buffs Ashlie Mihalcin and Tricia Regan, who later returned to game.

"The officials let them play and it became a real physical game. They were bigger and stronger and at that point had won most of the 50/50 balls," said Hogan.

Colorado registered the only shot of the first overtime session, an Allie Kidd attempt that was grabbed by Lindley in the 91st minute, CU's first shot in 18 minutes of play. The Buffs got off the first two shots in the second OT with Katie Griffin's shot in the 104th minute was blocked and when Kidd battled on the right flank to get a cross off 33 seconds later Fran Munnelly whose fourth shot of the game went high. Neither team could convert on a combined four shots in the second overtime to break the stalemate.

"We came out content in the second half which is not want you want to do against a physical team. But we gained the momentum back and into the overtimes and just couldn't finish it," said Munnelly who finished with a game high four shots.

Four of six newcomers on the trip saw their first minutes as Buffs, including starters Allie True (midfield) and forward Allison Kidd and reserves Maura Gentile and Brittany Dornseif while junior Shannon Kellogg, who redshirt the 2003 campaign due to an ACL injury, saw her first game time since Nov. 1, 2002.

"Allie True did a good job as did Allie Kidd up top. Brittany, Shannon, Ellen and Jes (Jessica Ceresino) all did what we needed them to do when they came in. And our back four were very good."

The Buffs continue their season-opening weekend back in Boulder Sunday, Aug. 29 against Air Force in a rare Sunday 4 p.m. start at north Boulder's Pleasant View Soccer Complex (Foothills and Diagonal Parkways). Parking and admission are free.