Rice University
5-4-0
East Carolina
4-7-0
Soccer Shuts Out East Carolina 3-0
9/30/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 30, 2005
HOUSTON - The Owl front line of Clory Martin, Lennie Waite and Anne Candee all scored goals while freshman goalkeeper Adriene Giese was perfect in the net to pace the Rice soccer team to a 3-0 Conference USA win over visiting East Carolina in the league opener for both teams Friday night at the Rice Track/Soccer Stadium.
Rice may have been playing its first game in 12 days after cancelling last weekend's action due to the threat of Hurricane Rita, but the team looked sharp in claiming a shutout victory. The Owls controlled the tempo in the first half and took a 1-0 lead by out-shooting the Pirates 6-1. Rice added a pair of goals in the second half to seal the win and end a three-game losing streak.
Head coach Chris Huston was excited for the win, but enthusiasm was rooted in something a little more substantial than winning her first C-USA league game in six years. The Owls' mentor had been in the conference before and realized that facing a talented ECU team that finished fourth in the league a year ago while essentially beginning a whole new season with the start of C-USA play - and after a long hurricane layoff to boot - might be a volatile combination. The Owls quickly defused the threat.
""It was one of those things where it was good to get a little rest, but then maybe it could have started becoming a little too long of a rest," Huston explained. "We came out and played well, which was something we had to do to get our first conference win against a good East Carolina team.
"I was pretty happy with our middle," Huston added. "Ashley (Lucas) did a very good job and Alexa (Coralli) was solid. Our back line did a good job getting forward and serving a lot of dangerous balls in. Caitlin Robbins showed that good play creates chances."
A Robbins' play to Martin opened the game's scoring with her first goal of the season. In the 13th minute Robbins broke free down the left side and slipped through two defenders before centering a long pass in front of the ECU goal. The ball went right to Martin who flicked the shot to the back of the net from inside the six yard line.
"It was simple thanks to Caitlin," Martin said. "She beat two players that were on her, then passed a smooth ball on the ground between two more defenders. She did all the hard work. It was cool just watching her."
Rice had fewer shots than the Pirates in the second half, 5 to 7, but made the most of the attempts with a pair of scores. In the 77th minute Candee and Lucas, a freshman tandem that played club ball together back home in the Dallas area, used some familiar teamwork to stretch the margin to 2-0. Candee fielded Lucas' pass in traffic from the top of the 18-yard line and blasted away with a shot. The attempt found the back of the net for her third goal of the year.
"Ashley carried it through the middle and gave me a perfect ball on a diagonal dead run, like she always does," Candee said. "We have worked on this and it's exciting when the work pays off in a game."
With East Carolina continuing to apply the offensive pressure in the second stanza, Rice added one more late goal for insurance. In the 84 minute Waite had a good look at the goal from 15 yards out but the Pirate keeper thwarted away the attempt. Waite couldn't wait, and wisely followed her shot to play the deflection. She converted the follow-up attempt for her second goal of the season and the Owls closed out a 3-0 win.
Giese, the freshman keeper from California, posted her second shutout of the season with four saves, all in the second half. Rice improved to 5-4-0 on the season while the Pirates fell to 4-7-0.
The Owls next face fellow C-USA newcomer Marshall at home on Sunday to close out the league's weekend action. Start time with the Thundering Herd is slated for 1 pm at the Rice Track/Soccer Stadium. Coach Huston sees the task ahead.
"We're only half-way through the weekend now," Huston said. "We still have a game on Sunday that we better be ready to play."
Team Stats
MARTIN, Clory (1)
Assisted By: ROBBINS, Caitlin
from 10 feet in front of the goal
12:43
CANDEE, Anne (3)
Assisted By: LUCAS, Ashley
break away inside the 18
76:34
WAITE, Lennie (2)
off blocked shot
83:46
