TheBand Posted November 9, 2003 Share Posted November 9, 2003 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 8, 2003 Women’s Soccer Contact: Diana Koval BILLIKENS FALL IN C-USA TITLE GAME ON PKs CHARLOTTE – Saint Louis University women’s soccer finished in a double-overtime 1-1 tie with DePaul in the finals of the Conference USA Tournament at Transamerica Field, but the Blue Demons claimed the title with a 4-3 decision in penalty kicks. The game was hard-fought throughout with the Billikens out-shooting DePaul 18-14. With five penalty kicks for each team, Jamie Perry struck the first for SLU, but saw DePaul keeper Lindsay Deason dive to her left for the save. After Lauren Spacht drove home DePaul’s first strike, Courtney Hulcer, Kelly Ferguson and Dee Guempel knotted the strikes at 3-3. Amber Prindle gave DePaul a 4-3 lead, and Deason came up with the final stop on Carrie Carlson’s final strike to give the Blue Demons the championship. The first half was a game of punch and counterpunch. After every strong Billiken advance, the Blue Demons pressed forward as well. The Billikens went ahead in exactly that fashion. In the third minute, Christie Cigno sent Tara Gresco wide down the right side. Gresco sent a quick pass to Anna Schuch at the face of the goal. DePaul keeper Lindsey Deason punched the ball clear before Schuch got a shot off. The Blue Demons quickly went the other way with C-USA Player of the Year Julianne Sitch attacking the Billiken defense. A SLU foul on Sitch in the box put the DPU midfielder at the penalty spot against SLU keeper Amanda Martin. Sitch went to the right, and Martin deflected the penalty kick. Sitch collected the rebound and forced Martin into another quick save. On the Billikens’ next advance down the field a DePaul foul gave SLU a deadball near the right sideline 45 yards out with under a minute left in the period. Trisha Neidenbach struck the deadball and found Cigno near the penalty spot. Cigno got a head on it and, after the shot grazed the leg of a Blue Demon defender, the ball skidded past Deason to give the Bills a 1-0 lead. The Blue Demons got the equalizer quickly in the second half. Sitch took the ball on the left side 10 yards outside the box and lofted a pass over the defense to Margo Sackmaster. Martin came out to challenge Sackmaster one-on-one, but Sackmaster sent it into the lower left corner to tie the game 1-1. DePaul nearly took the lead in the 84th minute as Sitch took a shot after a corner bounced around the box, but Courtney Hulcer was at the post to clear the ball and preserve the tie. The Billikens looked to go ahead in the 89th minute when Kelly Ferguson sent a ball through to Tara Gresco running up the left side, but Gresco’s shot scooted just wide of the far post. Gresco had the best and only opportunity for either side in the first overtime period. After a corner was deflected out by DePaul, Jamie Perry kept the ball in play for Guempel, who sent a serve to the left side for Gresco. Her quick shot was poked out by Deason. In the second OT, Sitch took a dangerous shot that went wide of the goal and just out of Sackmaster’s reach. The Billikens return home with their 14-5-3 overall record and await the NCAA Tournament selection show on Mon., Nov. 10. SAINT LOUIS 1, DePAUL 1 DePaul wins the title on PKs 4-3 SLU - 44:10 Cigno (Neidenbach) DPU - 47:42 Sackmaster (Sitch) Shots: DPU - 14, SLU - 18 Corners: DPU - 5, SLU - 6 Saves: DPU - 7 (Deason), SLU - 8 (Martin 7, Team 1) Fouls: DPU - 16, SLU - 9 Offsides: DPU - 0, SLU - 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted November 9, 2003 Share Posted November 9, 2003 Thanks for the report ... I think they still have a chance for the tourney ... but without a past history it will be tough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CentFLBilliken Posted November 9, 2003 Share Posted November 9, 2003 I love college soccer but how in the hell can you give out a championship at any level on FREAKING penalty kicks? What a FREAKING disgrace. If baseball were soccer.... After 9 innings the World Series would be decided by a home run hitting contest. If football were soccer... Overtime would be decided by a field goal kicking contest If basketball were soccer... Championships would be decided by a rigorous game of horse. What are they worried about? Has some one actually dropped dead by playing too much soccer? It sure as hell cant be TV considerations, like anyone is watching the sport on TV anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetorch Posted November 9, 2003 Share Posted November 9, 2003 Olympic hockey does the same thing. Shootouts do suck, I would rahter watch them play all night then see one of the goelies get lucky and block a shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBand Posted November 9, 2003 Author Share Posted November 9, 2003 Olympic soccer is the same way. 2 ots then penalty shots. I dont quite know the best answer. Soccer isnt like baseball or basketball where someone more than likely to score at some point. Hockey has the same problem with regular season games and travel, so they go with the one ot and a tie, but I guess you could go the playoff route of hockey and play till someone scores. I do enjoy those multiple ot games in hockey, maybe i would enjoy that in soccer too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CentFLBilliken Posted November 9, 2003 Share Posted November 9, 2003 My feeling is if the two teams playing for a championship cant score, they dont deserve the championship anyway. A contest should never be decided on something that doesnt happen in the flow of play. I forgot about olympic hockey, but I would love to know the reason why they do that. It makes absolutely no sense. Overtime playoff hockey is the best thing going in the NHL. What happened today was a disgrace. They took something that could have been great (a player scoring a sudden-death conference championship winning goal) to something anti-climatic (line-up and fire it at the helpless goalie). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtside Posted November 9, 2003 Share Posted November 9, 2003 I don't enjoy the PK format...but how is your argument isolated to soccer. Hockey? big fan...but you play 60 minutes, then get 4 on 4 for 5 minutes? different game. Football? Pro is toss of coin for OT. and a tie if no one scores in 15 minutes. College football? ball at 25...then you have to go for 2 after so many ot's. to name a few. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetorch Posted November 9, 2003 Share Posted November 9, 2003 Yeah I dislike football's OT system as well. College is a little more fair. Hockey goes 4 on 4 but at least they play to determine the winner. PK kicks for overtime show no soccer skill. The kicker should score every time. Effectively you wait till the goalie gets lucky or a kicker messes up. Nothing is perfect, but playing the game to determine the winner just seems more fair. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtside Posted November 9, 2003 Share Posted November 9, 2003 The shooter should score most of the time in PK's. But every goalie cheats in PK's...at least any good one. I remember the women's World Cup the one the US won, and Brianna Scurry was nowhere near the goal stopping a crucial PK. I remember laughing watching it. She had a five step head start. With that said, it is all nerves and clean ball strike, and should be a goal each time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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