PonyFans.comBoard IndexAround the HilltopFootballRecruitingBasketballOther Sports

Women's soccer: SMU 2, Baylor 1

Soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field - anything not covered above gets discussed here.

Moderators: PonyPride, SmooPower

Women's soccer: SMU 2, Baylor 1

Postby PonyPride » Sat Aug 26, 2000 2:15 am

The SMU women's soccer team got two goals in less than two minutes near the end of the first half from junior forward Sarah Harvey to rally for a 2-1 win over Baylor at SMU's Westcott Field in the 2000 season opener for each team.

The Mustangs, ranked 15th in the preseason NSCAA/adidas poll, started slowly, giving up a goal to Baylor's Molly Cameron in the sixth minute when a three-way collision resulted in the ball slipping past SMU defender Lana Darnell and Mustang goalkeeper Becca Leif.

SMU head coach George Van Linder, beginning his second season at the helm of the Mustangs' program, was none too pleased with what he called a "sluggish" start by the Ponies, a problem that was magnified by the Bears' energetic start.

"We started out a little slow, which is not to take away from Baylor, because they came out really on fire," Van Linder said after the game. "I don't know if it was nerves, but we didn't start well."

Van Linder juggled his lineup, removing center midfielder Nicole Lamb -- one of the team captains -- from the lineup, a move he said was intended to light a fire.

"I did that a little to light a fire under her, and under the whole team, because they all look up to her," Van Linder said. "It seemed to work, because she had a great second half."

Whatever the reasoning, the plan seemed to work, as the Ponies -- who were playing without injured star forward Tara Comfort, who is sidelined by a sprained knee -- began to regain the form that earned them their preseason ranking. They picked up their intensity and hustle in the defensive end, and began to string together consecutive passes while working the ball through the midfield, allowing them to build their attack in the offensive end.

Then, in the 40th minute, Harvey broke through the Baylor defense, settled a bouncing pass and pushed the ball past BU goalkeeper Dawn Greathouse to tie the score at 1-1.

Les than two minutes later, Harvey provided what proved to be the game-winner, again using her speed to burst past the Baylor defense. She split a pair of defenders while running on to a long pass from Misty Noland, and as Greathouse charged out to challenge her, Harvey lofted a soft floater that bounced into the net to give the Mustangs the 2-1 lead going into halftime.

"Both goals were great goals," Van Linder said. "We really began to put more pressure on them, and that allowed Sarah to take advantage of her chances. She has a knack for doing that, and it's really nice to have a player like that on the team."

The game's outcome was not sealed until the final moments. Twice in the last five minutes, Leif charged out of the net to stuff a Baylor attacker on a breakaway to preserve the win. Van Linder admitted to sweating out the game's final moments.

"Becca made a few great plays at the end there," he said of his junior netminder. "She really came through for us."

Van Linder said that the Mustangs missed the Comfort's speed in the offense, and added that his junior forward is expected to return to the field in a couple of weeks.

[This message has been edited by PonyPride (edited 08-26-2000).]
PonyFans.com ... is really the premier place for Mustang talk on the Web.
New York Times

https://www.facebook.com/PonyFanscom/

twitter.com/PonyFans

https://www.instagram.com/ponyfans_staff/
User avatar
PonyPride
PonyFans.com Super Legend
 
Posts: 19835
Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2000 4:01 am
Location: Dallas, Texas

Return to Other Sports

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests