09/26/2007
Women's Soccer Battles to 1-1 2OT Tie against Keene State

WORCESTER, MASS. 9/26/07 - The Clark University women’s soccer team battled to a 1-1 tie with non-conference foe Keene State College at Granger Field Wednesday night.

Following the stalemate, Clark stands at 3-4-2 while KSC records their first tie of the season for a 6-3-1 record.

"We've gotten to a point where we can compete against some of the best teams in New England," said head coach Joe Brady. "Now, we just have to get the results."

It was a defensive chess match from the beginning as neither team could find a score. Keene State controlled play throughout most of the half with 10 shots on goal and six corners. Clark did not place a shot on goal until a free kick from Julia Rizzo (Westboro, Mass.) twenty minutes into the game skipped off the top of the net.

Keene State put an end to the defensive melee when Jana Berthiaume (Worcester, Mass.) crossed a ball in front of the net to Renee Halsey (Francestown, N.H.), who slid it home for a 1-0 lead with just over seven minutes to play in the half.

The Cougars responded minutes later, however, on a corner kick from Lorna Lunney (La Jolla, Calif.). Lunney one-hopped the ball to Julie Murray (Millbury, Mass.), who rifled the shot past Owl keeper Samantha Hirsh (Holliston, Mass.) to even the score at one a piece at 41:16.

Keene State had a chance to go up one just two minutes into the second stanza on a free kick from Kendra Spencer (Petoskey, Mich.), but her bid bounced off the goal post. Rizzo nearly gave the Cougars the go-ahead mark on another free kick, but her shot skirted left of the net. Clark keeper Joanna Clark (Windham, Maine) made four stops in the period to preserve the tie.

In the first overtime period Liz Adamcik (Florence, Mass.) broke through the defense and found only the keeper between her and a Cougar victory, but Hirsh made the save on the point-blank shot. The Owls almost put it away following a corner from Michelle Boland (Worcester, Mass.), but Katie Bradford’s (Lebanon, N.H.) header flew just over the net.

In the second extra block Kathleen Keniston (Minneapolis, Minn.) nearly ended it for KSC on a ball from Boland, but her header skipped out of bounds with four minutes left. Clark had a chance to come away with the win with just over a minute remaining, but Murray’s try for her second goal in the game drifted wide of the net.

"Overall, it was a good battle between two teams that could be in the mix at the end," Brady said.

Hirsh and Clark each turned aside six shots in the marathon match.

Clark next hosts Wellesley College on Saturday (11 am) while KSC plays Eastern Connecticut State at home the same day (1 pm).

By: Bill Cobb, Sports Information Intern