Soccer Falls to WPS' Athletica
3/24/2010 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
The reigning Big 12 regular season champion Tigers came out and played aggressively right from the start and kept the ball in the Athletica half for the majority of the opening 15 minutes. Sophomore midfielder Jessie Crabtree was fearless in the attack and had a couple crafty runs at the St. Louis defense early on while showing a good touch on the ball.
The Missouri defense played very tough in the first half, with sophomore Mallory Stipetich working hard to provide defensive support from the midfield. As a team, they troubled the Athletica attack and forced a handful of errant shots and deflections. Freshman goalkeeper Jessica Gwin made impressive back-to-back saves in the 17th minute, positioning herself for a point blank stop to her chest followed by a diving snag to her right from another close range shot.
The Athletica nearly opened scoring in the 23rd minute when St. Louis native Lori Chalupny's shot was deflected across the open goal line, but the rebound attempt was whiffed and cleared by the Tiger defense. However, St. Louis would get on the board just before the end of the half, when Swedish forward Madelaine Edlund buried a low shot just inside the right post to make the score 1-0 in the 40th minute.
St. Louis didn't take long in the second half to expand upon their lead, as Edlund headed home her second goal of the afternoon off an Aya Miyama corner kick in the 48th minute to make the score 2-0. Junior midfielder Krista Kruse thwarted a Chalupny breakaway just minutes later, forcing the U.S. national teamer off the ball and clearing the opportunity. As the Missouri defense began playing more compact, sophomore Kendra Collins held her own quite well as the Athletica kept testing the right sideline that she was defending.
Missouri's best chance to get on the board came in the 79th minute, when junior Kari Adam was awarded a free kick outside the top right corner of the Athletica box, but sent her shot just over the net. St. Louis would seal the game in the 84th minute, when DePaul grad Erin Walter finished from close range after the ball had been worked across the Missouri box. Walter's goal would clinch a 3-0 final score for the Athletica.
The Tigers spring schedule resumes on Saturday, April 10 when they take on the University of Illinois at 1:00 pm at the Anheuser-Busch Soccer Complex in St. Louis. The spring season will then conclude on Saturday, April 17th when the Tigers will welcome Indiana to Walton Stadium at 10:00 am.
