Buffs Shutout Iowa State 4-0

Sunday, September 25

Boulder, Colo.

1 p.m.

Colorado

4-4-2, 1-1-0Big 12

Iowa State

6-2-0, 1-1-0Big 12

Iowa State

Colorado

Photo by: CUBuffs.com

September 25, 2005 | Soccer

Box Score

By: Allie Musso, Assistant SID

BOULDER - Katie Griffin and Nikki Keller led the University of Colorado women's soccer team as the Buffs bounced back with their highest tally of the season, shutting out the Iowa State Cyclones 4-0 at Prentup Field on Sunday afternoon. Colorado improves to 1-1 in Big 12 action while Iowa State falls to 1-1.

The Buffaloes opened the first half playing relatively even with the Cyclones, as both teams pulled off one shot each during the first nine minutes of the game. The tempo quickly changed in the 10th minute when Fran Munnelly knocked a ball to midfielder Kathryn Grandinetti who found Keller inside the box. Keller took one touch towards the goal and blasted the ball into the lower left corner of the goal.

No more than three minutes later than her first goal of the game, Keller, the freshman from Arvada, Colo., made sure the Cyclones knew she wasn't done. Grandinetti took another ball down the line on the left side and served the ball in the air across the box. Allison Kidd was on the receiving end and took the ball down right on the back post. A shot almost identical to the first one, Keller tucked it away in the bottom left corner, recording her second goal of the game and her third goal this season.

"I was in the right place at the right time for both of those goals," Keller said. "From all these practices, you know what kind of balls they (her teammates) play and Kidd took down a good cross and I was where I needed to be."

For the next 20 minutes, the Cyclones had their hands full with the Buffs front line. The Buffs were out to score, recording 12 shots in the first half alone, a huge turn-around from Friday's game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers when the Buffs recorded only five in the first half.

In the 32nd minute, Kidd worked towards the Cyclone defense and played a perfect ball over their heads to Katie Griffin who touched it forward and buried her first shot of the game in to the lower left corner of the goal, putting the Buffs ahead of the Cyclones 3-0.

The Buffaloes dominated the first half not only on offense, but on defense as well. The defense only allowed Iowa State to get three shots on CU keeper Jessica Keller, who denied the pair of shots that were on goal.

During the first 30 minutes of the second half, Iowa State was able to keep the Buffaloes scoreless, despite seven shots ripped towards the Cyclone goal. Griffin was behind four of the seven, two of which were one-on-one opportunities that were denied both times by the aggressive playing of Iowa State's keeper Joanna Haig.

However, third time proved to be a charm for Griffin as she took on Haig once again in the 79th minute of the game. Allie True switched the field and played a perfect ball to Griffin who had to push the ball to the left in order to beat the keeper. With the keeper on the ground and a wide-open goal, Griffin chipped it into the back of the net, scoring what proved to be the final goal of the game.

"Everyone gets frustrated (when the goalie makes a save) but the third time was a charm," said Griffin. "I decided that I was going to have to beat her instead of taking the quick shot, and it worked."

Just minutes before Griffin's goal, freshman goalie Kirstin Radlinski checked into the game for Keller. This marked Radlinski's first time on the pitch for CU and she was quickly challenged by the Cyclones with 10 minutes left in the game. Iowa State was rewarded a corner kick and as Hannah Swanbom served it in front of CU's goal, Radlinski came off the goal line strong and punched the ball away and out of the box.

With the 4-0 win over Iowa State, the Buffs have tied for the fourth most goals ever scored by CU in a game. Fran Munnelly also recorded her 20th assist, pushing her further ahead of No. 2 Grandinetti (18) on the career charts.

Colorado returns to action at Prentup Field on Friday, September 30 against conference rival Oklahoma State at 4 p.m. The game will televised by Fox Sports Net at a later date.