Miami University
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Miami Tops Chattanooga at Lady Govs Invitational
8/28/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Aug. 27, 2010
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Senior Brooke Livingston headed home the game-winning goal for the Miami University women's soccer team Friday night, less than a minute after Chattanooga had evened the match, to give the RedHawks a 2-1 victory in the Lady Govs Invitational played at Austin Peay's Morgan Brothers Field. Miami (2-0) has now opened the season with consecutive wins for the first time since 1999 while facing the Lady Mocs (1-2) for the first time in program history.
Like in the season opener against Alabama A&M, the 'Hawks struck early as freshman Kayla Zakrzewski (London, Ont.) pounced on a poor pass by Chattanooga and finished strong in the back of the net less than five minutes into the game for her second tally of 2010. Her strike was Miami's first shot of the match.
The RedHawks kept control of the contest the remainder of the half, keeping the ball in the attacking end, but were unable to add to their advantage. Miami fired 13 shots in the opening 45 minutes, led by four from senior Julie Thompson (Glenview, Ill.), but UTC's Taylor Davidson made seven saves to keep the margin at one heading into the break. The RedHawks' defense limited the Lady Mocs to just one shot in the first period, which went wide of the target.
"We scored early and everybody thought it's going to be Alabama A&M again but that second goal wouldn't come quite like it did last time," head coach Bobby Kramig said. "The team didn't get too frustrated though and they didn't lose their composure. I don't think there was a flicker of disbelief that we wouldn't win the game."
Miami struggled in the first 15 minutes of the second period but started clicking in the 60th minute and ripped three shots in a six-minute stretch, but still could not pad its lead. In the 75th minute, UTC's Donna-Kay Henry used her speed to sneak behind the RedHawk defense and even the match at 1-1 on a feed from Anna Cusick.
Thirty-nine seconds later however, Miami responded and took the lead for good when Livingston (Lisle, Ill.) connected on a corner kick from sophomore Jess Kodiak (Naperville, Ill.) with her head to put the `Hawks up, 2-1. It was Kodiak's second assist of the game and fourth of the season. Miami then held the Lady Mocs without a shot the remainder of the match to stay undefeated on the young season.
"Chattanooga's goal was one of those things where you kind of lose concentration for a split second so we wanted to make sure that they knew we were here to win and that we wanted it," senior defender Jessica Byron said. "We made sure we came back with just as much effort to get that second goal and the win."
The RedHawks finished with an 18-3 shot advantage, including 11-2 in shots on goal, and a 4-3 edge in corner kicks. Davidson finished with nine saves in net for UTC while senior keeper Rachelle Boff (Naples, Fla.) played the entire game in net for Miami and was forced to make just one save.
"I felt like we made this game a lot more difficult than it needed to be, but at the same time we needed to play in a tight game," Kramig said. "We needed the experience of having to press forward and get the game-winner and win a close game, so I was pleased with that. It was a good character reference on our team. We just need to do a better job of taking the things we work on in practice and putting them in the game. I'm seeing bits and pieces of it and I'm confident by the time we get to conference play, we'll be ready."
The RedHawks wrap-up play at the Lady Govs Invitational when they take on Western Illinois Sunday at noon ET.
--MURedHawks.com--
