SOCCER CLAIMS OWN CLASSIC TITLE

Sunday, September 19

Boulder, Colo.

1 p.m.

Colorado

6-1-1

Denver

2-5-1

Denver

Colorado

Photo by: CUBuffs.com

September 19, 2004 | Soccer

Box Score

By: CUBuffs.com

BOULDER - Allie True, Fran Munnelly and Allison Kidd each registered goals as the University of Colorado soccer team blanked cross-town rival Denver 3-0 to win its third straight Colorado Soccer Classic title in front of a season high 1,274 fans at the Pleasant View Soccer Complex here Sunday.

Despite Wyoming dominating LSU in this morning's match, the Tigers came away with the 1-0 win when sophomore forward Stacy Bishop netted her second goal of the tournament in the 31st minute. Wyoming outshot the Tigers 18-9, including 8-4 on goal, forcing LSU keeper Valerie Vogler to make 8 saves to the Cowgirls' Ashley Sheppard's 3.

Colorado's win is its fifth straight as the Buffs have outscored opponents 14-2 since Sept. 4., and second straight over Denver as the Buffs upset then-No. 9 DU 3-0 last year in the Mile High City. The win also puts the Buffs at 6-1-1 in the preseason.

"I was very concerned playing them (Denver) because they are a mentally wounded team and this is a big game. They played really well...they have a young team and are going to be good," said head coach Bill Hempen.

The Buffs were on the offensive right out of the gates, and allowed just one Denver shot in the first 31 minutes of the game, including a 4-1 edge before True, a UCLA transfer, capitalized on her second shot of the game in the 20th minute. Kathryn Grandinetti's cross was headed by Munnelly, but DU keeper Danielle Wiley gave up a rebound on the save which was put back by True for her first goal in a CU uniform and the eventual game winner. Twenty-six seconds later True's next attempt on goal went wide right, sending Wiley diving toward the far post.

Two shots and less than two minutes later, Munnelly made it a 2-0 lead in the 21st minute when Grandinetti sent another cross into the box which Munnelly collected and put past Wiley for her second goal on the weekend.

"I've been playing with her (Grandinetti) since I was 11," said Munnelly on her teammate. "That was a great pass...I can't give her enough credit for it.

"I heard Fran running and I knew she'd be there. I knew if I got it to her, she'd get it in. We were all over it," said Grandinetti.

The early lead deflated the Pioneers who played on their heels the remainder of the opening stanza, getting just three shots off to CU's 13. Denver's first on goal was with two minutes remaining in the half by Boulder native Lleane Grimditch which was snagged by Keller.

"The goals just took the spark out of them and gave us more confidence," added Grandinetti.

Both teams traded four shots out of the intermission break, with the Pioneers starting the action when Grimditch's attempt from the top of box, and the match's heavy winds behind her, was tipped over the crossbar by Keller in the 48th minute. Grandinetti answered five minutes later when she took a Griffin serve at the top left elbow of the box and her shot went wide right.

It was Kidd who would break the silence in the more evenly played second half when Griffin's shot in the 70th minute was tipped by Wiley into the crossbar sending the ball back into play before Kidd got the ball past two DU defenders and Wylie.

"Katie did a tremendous job creating that for me," said Kidd. "At the beginning of the season, getting into it was tough, but things are getting easier and I'm, starting to feel more comfortable and more confident."

Senior Jen Thais nearly combined with True to make it a 4-0 win when Thais' shot in the 74th minute was blocked and the rebound to True six seconds later was picked up by Wiley. Five CU players came off the bench following the combination and Denver closed the game with its third corner and a pair of shots by Grimditch and Leah Becherer were blocked and wide, sending the Pioneers back to campus with their third loss in four games.

Colorado officially opens defense of its 2003 Big 12 title as the Buffs christen the league season Friday and Sunday at Iowa State and at Kansas, respectively.

"We've plotted through some tough games, and things are getting worked out. When we first started the season I thought we were going to struggle, but things are falling into place."