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Nebraska scores shortly before, after halftime in 3-0 shutout of Bears
Northern Colorado’s Laura Wayland, left, pressures Nebraska defender Blair Slapper on Saturday at Jackson Stadium in Greeley. <em>(photo by George Tanner/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)</em>
What’s the old sports adage? Don’t ever let the other team score right before halftime?
The University of Northern Colorado soccer team learned the wisdom of that axiom on Saturday evening in Greeley.
The Bears allowed a goal by Nebraska freshman Morgan Marlborough in the last 15 seconds of the first half. Then the Huskers scored again in the first 20 seconds of the second half en route to a 3-0 victory in UNC’s opening match of the 2009 season.
The two quick scores left about 1,000 fans at Jackson Stadium wondering what happened.
“I guess i know what didn’t happen: My halftime talk didn’t work,” UNC coach Tim Barrera said. “We knew they were an opportunistic-type team, super athletic. We got a little tired at the end of the first half. And it was loose balls. We talked about it all week: We have to get to the end of loose balls so we can clear balls out and not give them goals.”
Late in the first half, Nebraska’s Jordan Jackson made a long run up the right wing. She got in behind the UNC defense, but she passed the ball off instead of testing Bears goalkeeper Kirsten Salminen. Although it seemed a curious decision at the time, her pass bounced around in the penalty area and found its way to Marlborough, who saw an opening and fired a shot past Salminen.
“The freshman that scored for them is a tremendous goal scorer,” Barrera said. “You give her an inch, and she’s going to put it away. I think she scored, like, 180 goals in high school. She’s a tremendous talent.”
According to the Nebraska Web site, Marlborough broke the Missouri high school single-season goal-scoring record during her freshman year (43 goals). Then she broke the record again in her sophomore year (57). And her junior year (63). And in her senior season (69). She finished with 232 goals, also a state record. Read more about her record-breaking high school career in her bio at the Huskers’ Web site.
But her goal at the end of the first half wasn’t the back-breaker. The one 18 seconds into the second half was.
Nebraska played a free kick on the right side of midfield like a corner kick. The ball dropped for sophomore Molly Thomas, and she blasted it past Salminen for a 2-0 lead.
“We asked them to be a little bit tougher because (the Huskers) are such a physical team,” Barrera said. “We gave away a free kick, and that’s when they’re dangerous because they’re big, strong, fast and physical. … We won’t play as athletic a team as that the rest of the year.”
After that, the Bears hunkered down. Barrera bought his team some room to maneuver by going with a only three on the back line. It opened things up to the point that Kimmie Feidler hit the post in the 54th minute.
But after a throw-in during the 74th minute, Thomas converted a pass from Marlborough and put the game out of reach.
“We kind of got caught on the throw-in,” Barrera said. “That’s the difference. We don’t put that one (chance) away, and 10, 15 minutes later they get one at the end.”
SHOT OF THE GAME: Oddly, it didn’t come on a goal. In the 20th minute, freshman Alexsys Tamayo had the ball on the left wing and crossed to Marcie Johnson, who was right of goal. Johnson unleashed an angry one-timer, but Nebraska keeper Tara Macdonald had glided over to put herself into position to make the stop. Johnson’s shot demonstrated a high degree of foot-eye coordination, the type of strike that highlight videos were invented for. “Yes, that would have been the goal of the century for us,” Barrera said.
SAVE OF THE GAME: Oddly, it didn’t come from a goalkeeper. UNC’s Olivia Deadmond blocked an attempt by Thomas in the 65th minute, stopping a certain goal on the goal line. Thomas would have another chance at a goal about two minutes later, but her attempt at the upper right corner sailed just high. With a little better placement, Thomas might’ve finished the match with four goals.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Thomas had two goals … but no. Marlborough had a goal and an assist … but no. Macdonald recorded eight saves and a shutout … but no. I’d say the player of the match was central defender Carly Peetz. Nebraska stymied the UNC offense with discipline, muscle and skill. Peetz owned the penalty area, and the Bears had few chances. The stats sheet says the Bears took eight shots on goal, but only a couple were legit scoring opportunities. Peetz had a large hand in that. She also pushed forward during the run of play more than most center backs would, a sign of confidence in her defensive teammates.
NEBRASKA STARTERS: Macdonald, Powell, Colleen Goetzmann, Katie Goetzmann, Slapper, Thomas, Peetz, Marlborough, Caniglia, Goosen, White.
BEARS STARTERS: Kramer, Feidler, Dalton, VanderVelde, Johnson, Knott, Deadmond, Cook, Tamayo, Wayland, Salminen.
George Tanner is a former writer and editor for the Rocky Mountain News; the Greeley Tribune; The Daily Independent of Ridgecrest, Calif.; the Durango Herald; and the Boulder Daily Camera. He is a graduate of the University of Colorado and an affiliate professor at Metropolitan State College of Denver. E-mail him at ColoradoSoccerNow@gmail.com.
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