Gopher Soccer Drops 2-1 Heartbreaker in Overtime vs. Buckeyes

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The Minnesota Golden Gopher soccer team lost a heartbreaking 2-1 match to the Ohio State Buckeyes Friday night at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium in St. Paul. The Gophers (6-7-1, 2-4-0 Big Ten) jumped out to a 1-0 lead early in the second half, but Ohio State (10-5-1, 4-2-0) scored the equalizer in the 84^th minute and would win the game with 4:59 remaining in the first overtime.

The 1,003 spectators in attendance at a cool and windy ELR Stadium witnessed a meticulous and back-and-forth battle in half number one. Both teams had a couple of solid scoring chances, but neither could deliver during the initial 45 minutes.

The match's intensity picked up dramatically after the halfway point, and Minnesota freshman Molly Rouse scored the contest's first goal just 4:07 into the period. She picked up a loose ball 10 yards from the net and launched a hard shot over the outstretched hands of Buckeye goalkeeper Lauren Robertson for her second goal of the season.

That lead would hold up for nearly 35 minutes of play, until Ohio State's Amanda Ball took a quick pass from Lisa Collison and found the left side of the net at the 83:48 mark. The Buckeye defense then held firm until Courtney Jenkins used a two-on-one advantage to notch the game-winning goal. Alex Burzynski and Lara Dickenmann recorded assists on the play.

“They scored their first goal in the run of play, and I thought it was tough emotionally for our players to come back, even though we did have some opportunities,' said Denney Wright. “We played an outstanding game overall, and I still believe this is a very good team.'

Denney Wright was also quick to praise the play of OSU's Dickenmann, one of the Big Ten's most explosive offensive players and also a standout on the Swiss national team.

“Dickenmann was the difference tonight,' Denney Wright said. “She was outstanding in overtime, and we just couldn't stop her... She made the difference in the game.'

Junior keeper Lindsey Dare, making her first start since last season for Minnesota, played a strong game in goal despite the loss and recorded seven saves. Minnesota forward Lindsey Schwartz also had six shots, including three on net. All in all, the Gophers had 15 shots (10 on goal) and created numerous scoring opportunities, a fact Denney Wright was quick to highlight.

“We broke down that team in a way we haven't done in a long time,' said Denney Wright. “There's no question we were the better team tonight.'

With the 2007 Big Ten Tournament (to be hosted at ELR Stadium Nov. 8-11) just three weeks away, Minnesota remained in seventh place in the conference with a 2-4-0 record. Eighth-place Wisconsin fell 1-0 to Michigan State Friday afternoon.

At halftime, former Gopher great Jennifer Walek became just the second Minnesota soccer player to have her jersey retired. Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi was on hand to present Walek with a framed number 19 jersey.

Sunday, the Gophers will look to salvage a weekend split as they take on no. 8 Penn State in an early 11:00 a.m. start. The 12-1-2 Nittany Lions managed to escape with a 1-0 win Friday night against Iowa, and narrowly defeated the Gophers 1-0 a year ago in State College, Penn. Sunday's game will be also be broadcast via tape delay on the Big Ten Network on Monday (Oct. 22) at 7:00 p.m. Live stats will be available via gophersports.com.

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Gopher Soccer Drops 2-1 Heartbreaker in Overtime vs. Buckeyes

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Lindsey Dare

Molly Rouse

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