Colorado Knocks Off Unbeaten OSU 1-0

Friday, September 30

Boulder, Colo.

4 p.m.

Colorado

5-4-2, 2-1-0Big 12

Oklahoma State

8-1-1, 1-1-0Big 12

Oklahoma State

Colorado

Photo by: CUBuffs.com

September 30, 2005 | Soccer

Box Score

By: CUBuffs.com

BOULDER, Colo. - Thanks to a late goal from junior Katie Griffin, the University of Colorado women's soccer team knocked off unbeaten Oklahoma State University here Friday afternoon by a score of 1-0.

Griffin took a pass from senior Fran Munnelly, beat an OSU defender inside the penalty box and buried a shot in the left half of the goal past the charging Bettina Grossman with just 7:40 to play in the match. It was just the third shot on goal for the Buffaloes, who held the Cowgirls without a shot on goal in the game. Griffin notched her second game-winning goal of the season.

"Bill always says to finish (the play) until it goes out of bounds, so I knew if I didn't get after it I was going to hear about it," said Griffin. "We really couldn't execute in the back of their field and we had to take advantage of the opportunities when we got them. I feel like I did my job for my team. I owe a lot to Fran because she played an amazing ball and it couldn't have happened without her."

Griffin and her teammates also owed a lot to the stellar play of the Colorado defense, who allowed just four shots in the game from the Cowgirls, none of them on goal. OSU led the Big 12 in offense entering this contest with 35 goals, 30 assists and 223 shots. Darci Smerchek blocked one of the Cowgirl shots, and did a solid job defending the tough offense of OSU.

"In a 0-0 game, you have to go that much harder," said Smerchek. "Whoever goes harder wins."

CU kept OSU out of the hair of goalkeeper Jessica Keller, who posted her fourth shutout of the season without having to make a single save.

Neither team was able to generate a lot of offense in the first half, with Oklahoma State generating just three chances and Colorado two. None of the combined five shots were on goal. In all, CU had just three shots on goal, from Griffin, Allison Kidd and Munnelly. Grossman, a midfielder who trained with the German National Team at age 15 at goalkeeper and is pulling duty in the Cowgirl net due to injuries, pulled in two saves. It was just the fourth goal allowed by OSU this season.

Colorado moves to 5-4-2 overall, 2-1 in the Big 12, OSU falls to 8-1-2 overall, 1-1 in the conference. The Buffs move to 5-0-1 all time against Oklahoma State in Boulder, 7-2-1 all time in the series.

Colorado will now hit the road after a comfortable five game home stand, traveling to Oklahoma to take on the Sooners this Sunday, October 2 at noon mountain time. Buff fans can visit www.cubuffs.com for live stats during the game. CU will then travel to Texas on Friday, October 7 before coming back to Colorado to take on Northern Colorado in Greeley on October 9 at 1 p.m.