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Pointers Roll Past Concordia in NCAA Opener
Box Score
UW-Stevens Point opened the postseason with a
victory for the fifth straight year as the Pointers blanked Concordia
(Wis.) 5-0 in an NCAA Division III women�s soccer first round match on
Wednesday in Stevens Point.
UW-Stevens Point advances to face the University
of Chicago in a second round match on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Chicago.
The victory was the ninth straight for the
Pointers, who have allowed only three goals over the span and used another
stifling defensive effort to shut down the Falcons, holding them to one
shot for the match.
�We�ve really stepped it up defensively,� said
Pointers� coach Sheila Miech, whose team is in the tournament for the
eighth straight year and 11th time in 12 seasons. �By playing great
defense it allows us a quick transition to go forward.�
Those transitions led to five UW-Stevens Point
goals as the Pointers held a 17-1 advantage in shots.
Kim Reese opened the scoring less than two
minutes into the match when she took a pass from Megan Frey and ripped a
shot from 20 yards out to the far post, giving the Pointers a lead that
stood for the next 30 minutes.
�That�s one of the things we talked about �
getting that early goal,� Miech said. �When you get the first goal, your
confidence just goes way up. Soccer is such a momentum game, that�s very
important.�
Melissa Becker collected a loose ball near the
top of the penalty box and lined a low shot just inside the post to put
the Pointers ahead 2-0. Early in the second half, Becker notched a penalty
kick after a Concordia handball in the box for a 3-0 lead.
UW-Stevens Point finished the scoring with a
breakaway goal by Liz Kidd at the 63-minute mark and a shot by Kimie Wiepz
that floated over the goalkeeper�s head nine minutes later.
Concordia�s only scoring threat came with two
minutes remaining when Bethany Hoeppner fired a close-range shot that was
saved by Meredith DeCaluwe following the Falcons� only corner kick of the
match.
UW-Stevens Point is now 16-4-1 overall and takes
on a University of Chicago squad that handed the Pointers a 4-1 setback on
Sept. 11. Concordia made its first NCAA Division III tournament
appearance and ends its season 14-7-1 after having a seven-match win
streak snapped. |
