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Bulldogs Fall Short Against Britons in Overtime
Nov. 3, 2009
ADRIAN, Mich. - The Adrian College women's soccer team was knocked out of the MIAA Tournament by Albion College on Tuesday afternoon in overtime by the final score of 1-0. The Bulldogs recorded 11 wins in 2009 including a 6-2 mark in the MIAA.
The first half of the game was even as each team took four shots. The Britons held an advantage in corner kicks as they had four compared to just one from the Bulldogs. Adrian had the best chance to score in the opening half when Sarah Evans blasted a shot off the crossbar near the 35-minute mark.
"We knew this was going to be a battle, and the game lived up to the hype", said head coach Ali Alamdari. "The momentum of the game definitely changed several times, but that's nothing new for us. We don't mind being outshot as long as we generate good scoring opportunities with the chances we take. Albion generated more offense than we did, but we felt that the quality of our chances was at least as strong as theirs."
The game remained tight throughout the second half. The Britons took more shots than the Bulldogs, but Adrian once again had the best opportunity to score. Lindsay Chitwood received a through ball from Lauren Cozzi and took a shot that bounced off the post to keep the game tied at 0-0 with four minutes to go.
The final outcome of the game came in the 99th minute of play when Lauren Beck scored the game-winning goal in overtime. Ali Oatley crossed the ball to the middle of the field. Lauren Eckler deflected the pass, and the ball went right to Beck. Beck fired a shot in the upper right corner of the net from 15 yards out to win the game for the Britons. Albion will face Kalamazoo in the finals as the Hornets defeated the Calvin Knights, 3-1, in a shootout after playing 110 minutes of scoreless soccer.
"Both teams battled their hearts out and played a great match", Alamdari said. "We honestly felt that this year's tourney was full of six #1 seeds and we've seen the parity in the league as three of the first four games of the tournament have gone to the lower seeded team. We played without Kellie Irwin, who has really been the heart and soul of our defense, and every single player stepped up and filled the void. I can't tell you how proud I am of this effort."
Adrian ended the season ranked eighth in the Central region with an overall record of 11-6-2. Adrian had their best finish in women's soccer since it became a MIAA sponsored sport in 1989.
"Great teams have great expectations, and I think in time we'll step back and realize that not many teams are able to do what we've done in such a short time," Alamdari said. "Our seniors should be unbelievably proud of what they've pulled off, and our underclassmen should look to continue the tradition that they've started. This was a fantastic year in so many different ways that I think we can all walk away with our heads held high and looking forward to getting better and stronger next season."
