SOCCER BEATS LSU 4-1

Friday, September 17

Boulder, Colo.

4 p.m.

Colorado

5-1-1

LSU

4-3-0

LSU

Colorado

September 17, 2004 | Soccer

Box Score

By: CUBuffs.com

BOULDER - The University of Colorado soccer team picked up its fourth straight win with a 4-1 victory over Louisiana State while Denver and Wyoming played to a double-overtime 1-1 tie in the opening day of the third annual Colorado Soccer Classic in front of 731 fans at the Pleasant View Soccer Complex here Friday.

The win improves the Buffs to 5-1-1 in the preseason while the Colorado offense has outscored opponents 11-1 during the four-match unbeaten streak.

"We played hard because LSU played hard. We matched their intensity," said head coach Bill Hempen. "Player for player we were a little better. Fran had a great goal, and Katie did a great job taking players on."

LSU left Baton Rouge, La. Wednesday in hopes of avoiding Hurricane Ivan, and nearly created a disturbance of their own when Tigers leading scorer Artie Brown split CU defenders Darci Smercheck and Laura Munnelly in the first minute of play and her bullet of a shot from inside the box was punched behind the net by CU keeper Jessica Keller. Following Brown's shot, there was an immediate shift in momentum as the Tigers went without an attempt for the next 17 minutes.

"We were told that they had a fast player up top, but I didn't realize how fast she was," said Keller. "Darci and Laura did a great job of tracking her back not allowing her shot to be uncontested. It definitely established the momentum. The corner (that followed Keller's save) allowed us to regroup and wake up."

Colorado went on the offensive in that span, and Fran Munnelly made it a 1-0 game in the 14th minute when Katie Griffin faked the receipt of a free kick from Kathryn Grandinetti and pulled a defender with her, setting up Munnelly for the cut and serve through the box and the score.

The Buffs and Tigers traded the next six shots while CU forced three corners before Griffin was tripped up inside the penalty box by LSU's Elena Sutherland, setting up CU's first penalty kick of the season, Griffin's first of her career. LSU keeper Robyn DesOrmeaux didn't move when Griffin's PK went low right for the 2-0 advantage in the 32nd minute of play.
The Buffs would continue to dominate the half, outshooting LSU 19-10 and forcing eight corners to LSU's one.

Despite LSU's attempts, the Buffs continued to dominate the field and Ashlie Mihalcin made a 3-0 score when her team leading fourth goal of the season when she took a Griffin cross and volleyed her shot into the right side of the net in the 65th minute. Valerie Vogler would replace DesOrmeaux in net four minutes later, but the change in goal didn't change the result as Shannon Kellogg picked up her first score of the season when she took a pass from 25 yards out and weaved her way into the box for the goal against Vogler in the 74th minute.

LSU's Stacy Bishop prevented the shutout when she headed a free kick from Tara Mitnick in the 76th minute. Brown nearly made it a 4-2 contest when she and the ball met up with Keller off the right post in the 83rd minute and her attempt was rebounded back into Bishop's possession and her tournament record sixth shot of the game hit the post seconds later. The save was Keller's game-high sixth. She would get relief in net in the 84th minute when Alison Eckenhoff made her collegiate debut with five minutes to play.

In the Classic's first game, Denver and Wyoming played to a double overtime 1-1 tie when Wyoming's Meghan Racette knotted the game in the 84th minute. Denver scored in the 59th minute of play when Boulder native Lleane Grimditch's header deflected off a Wyoming defender past Cowgirl keeper Ashley Sheppard who made a Classic record 12 saves against the Pioneers while teammate Mercy Adetoye took a Classic best six shots.

COLORADO SOCCER BEATS LSU 4-1/2-2-2

The Classic continues Sunday when Wyoming and LSU face off at 11 a.m. followed by Colorado and Denver at 1 p.m. Sunday's CU-DU match will be the rubber as the all-time series is tied at three games a piece. Then-No. 9 Denver will be looking to avenge last year's 3-0 blanking in the Mile High City. It's a seemingly long overdue meeting as this is the third straight tournament that both teams have played in, and will finally face off.

"I don't like to think ahead, but I know that they will be well prepared. I have a great respect for what they're doing. They may be a wounded team (the Pioneers are 2-4-1 going into Sunday's match), but that can be the most dangerous."

To get to the Pleasant View Soccer Complex, take Foothills Parkway north, take a right (east) on Valmont, and take your first left (north) on 47th. Follow 47th through the Diagonal Highway intersection and the complex will be on your left.