University of Minnesota Athletics
Gophers Down Huskers 4-2
4/19/2010 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
(Lincoln, NE) The University of Minnesota women's soccer team bested the 2nd highest scoring team in NCAA division one soccer in 2009 on Saturday by a final of 4-2. The game was part of the Husker Nation Pavilion pre-game festivities for the Nebraska spring football game with thousands of fans in attendance. It was an exciting 90 minutes as both teams committed numbers to the attack. Sophomore midfielder Shari Eckstrom and redshirt freshman forward Stephanie Brandt each scored two goals to lead the Gophers' offensive explosion.
Nebraska got on the board first with 25:10 remaining in the first half when Michaella Fulmer broke free down the right side on a counterattack and sent the ball to the far post where Jordan Jackson was there to one touch the shot past a sprawling Katie Roberts to make the score 1-0 Huskers.
Minnesota responded seventeen minutes later when junior midfielder Molly Rouse sent a cross into the box. Sophomore forward Tamara Strahota battled for the ball at near post space which allowed the ball to run through to the far post where Brandt was waiting to redirect the ball into the net to tie the score at 1-1.
Just a minute later with seven minutes remaining before intermission, the Gophers struck again. This time it was a Gopher counterattack where junior midfielder Katie Bethke sprinted out of the midfield on the dribble and wound up faced up with a Husker defender on the right flank. Bethke dribbled past her and drove into the box on the endline where she passed the ball across the goal. Strahota lunged out in an attempt to get on the end of it, but missed it. The ball went off a Nebraska defender and Strahota was able to quickly scramble back to her feet to pass the loose ball back to Eckstrom. Eckstrom then calmly found side netting from about 17 yards out to make the score 2-1 in favor of the Maroon and Gold going into halftime.
The Gophers upped their lead to 3-1 fifteen minutes into the 2nd half when Rouse found junior Angie Olson on the far side with a long diagonal pass. Olson played a first touch pass to Eckstrom who was just outside the penalty area streaking toward the goal. Eckstrom was in alone with the Husker goalkeeper and calmly deposited her shot into the back of the net for the 2-goal Gopher lead.
Nebraska responded 15 minutes later when Jackson struck again, this time on a free kick. Defender Blair Slapper knocked the ball in behind the Gopher defense. Jackson got on the end of it and was in alone with Roberts on a breakaway. The attacking midfielder buried her shot in the back of the net and pulled the Huskers back within 1 goal making the score 3-2 with 15 minutes to play.
The Gopher attack was not finished though. Just 3 minutes later, Eckstrom poked the ball away from a Husker defender straight to Bethke who 1-touch passed the ball to Brandt who was sitting alone 25 yards from goal. The former Minnesota Miss Soccer dribbled in and beat the goalkeeper for the final 4-2 score.
Roberts, a redshirt junior, went the distance in goal for the Gophers, making 3 saves on the day. Minnesota recorded 7 corner kicks to Nebraska's 3. The Gophers narrowly outshot the Huskers with 7 total shots to Nebraska's 6 and a 6-5 edge in shots on goal.
Minnesota is now 2-1-1 on the spring season. The Maroon and Gold will close out the spring by hosting the Big 10/Big XII Spring Challenge on Saturday, April 24th at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium in St. Paul. The Gophers will take on the Kansas Jayhawks at 11:15am and the Iowa State Cyclones at 3:45pm. The Iowa Hawkeyes will also be in town to play the same two teams from the Big XII. Admission is free and the gates will open to the public at 9am as Iowa and Iowa State will battle for their state's bragging rights at 9:30am.
