2008 Woodie Awards
Women's Soccer: Season update
Offense a struggle as Minutewomen winless after two games
Adam Miller, Collegian Staff
Issue date: 9/3/08 Section: Sports
It was not quite the start that Massachusetts women's soccer coach Jim Rudy had in mind when the Minutewomen opened their season against Binghamton, but it's not going to upset them either.
The Bearcats handed the Minutewomen (0-1-1) their first loss in a 2-1 game on Aug. 24. UMass struck first in the second half when redshirt senior Tina Rodriguez headed a ball from midfielder Vanessa Lima 48 minutes, 10 seconds into the match.
Rodriguez's goal against Binghamton was the first of her career and the only goal for UMass this season.
UMass took six shots throughout the game compared to Binghamton's nine. The last shot came from freshman Natalie Muka in the 67th minute, but did not convert on the opportunity. The Minutewomen were close to shutting out the Bearcats, but allowed the tying goal 82:46 into the game.
Binghamton forward Emily Dixon took an 18-foot shot that went past UMass goalkeeper Lauren Luckey into the lower left corner of the net.
The Bearcats struck again in overtime when AnnMarie Rizzi kicked the ball into the lower-right corner for the game-winner at 97:48. Kelly Haslinger and Casey Pedersen both earned assists on the play.
UMass took on Maine on Aug. 29. Luckey recorded her first-career shutout, but the offense failed to support the defense, playing to a draw. Maine's Kaitlin MacIsaac took the first shot of the game nine minutes into the affair.
Luckey finished with seven saves, for a total of eight saves on the season, while the Black Bear's goalkeeper Jasmine Phillips recorded four.
UMass junior Katie Ruggles and senior Vanessa Patry took the team's only shots in the first half.
The second half was more of the same for both teams. Laura Martel, the Black Bears leading scorer, challenged Luckey one-on-one, but her shot did not convert into a goal.
At the 66:14 mark, sophomore Kelsey Anderson sent a long ball towards the top of the goal, but Phillips jumped towards the ball and knocked it off the crossbar, keeping the game tied. The Black Bears took eight shots in the contest compared to the Minutewomen's six.
UMass plays its home opener on Thursday when it hosts New Hampshire at Rudd Field. Opponents are outshooting UMass, 17-12, in two games.
Although UMass has not given itself as many scoring opportunities as its opponents and despite losing junior Sydney Stoll to injury and Britt Canfield to graduation, the Minutewomen are already looking much more aggressive than last year's team.
Adam Miller can be reached at ajmil0@student.umass.edu.
The Bearcats handed the Minutewomen (0-1-1) their first loss in a 2-1 game on Aug. 24. UMass struck first in the second half when redshirt senior Tina Rodriguez headed a ball from midfielder Vanessa Lima 48 minutes, 10 seconds into the match.
Rodriguez's goal against Binghamton was the first of her career and the only goal for UMass this season.
UMass took six shots throughout the game compared to Binghamton's nine. The last shot came from freshman Natalie Muka in the 67th minute, but did not convert on the opportunity. The Minutewomen were close to shutting out the Bearcats, but allowed the tying goal 82:46 into the game.
Binghamton forward Emily Dixon took an 18-foot shot that went past UMass goalkeeper Lauren Luckey into the lower left corner of the net.
The Bearcats struck again in overtime when AnnMarie Rizzi kicked the ball into the lower-right corner for the game-winner at 97:48. Kelly Haslinger and Casey Pedersen both earned assists on the play.
UMass took on Maine on Aug. 29. Luckey recorded her first-career shutout, but the offense failed to support the defense, playing to a draw. Maine's Kaitlin MacIsaac took the first shot of the game nine minutes into the affair.
Luckey finished with seven saves, for a total of eight saves on the season, while the Black Bear's goalkeeper Jasmine Phillips recorded four.
UMass junior Katie Ruggles and senior Vanessa Patry took the team's only shots in the first half.
The second half was more of the same for both teams. Laura Martel, the Black Bears leading scorer, challenged Luckey one-on-one, but her shot did not convert into a goal.
At the 66:14 mark, sophomore Kelsey Anderson sent a long ball towards the top of the goal, but Phillips jumped towards the ball and knocked it off the crossbar, keeping the game tied. The Black Bears took eight shots in the contest compared to the Minutewomen's six.
UMass plays its home opener on Thursday when it hosts New Hampshire at Rudd Field. Opponents are outshooting UMass, 17-12, in two games.
Although UMass has not given itself as many scoring opportunities as its opponents and despite losing junior Sydney Stoll to injury and Britt Canfield to graduation, the Minutewomen are already looking much more aggressive than last year's team.
Adam Miller can be reached at ajmil0@student.umass.edu.
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