Rice University
1-0-1
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Dartmouth
0-2-0
Soccer Team Blanks Dartmouth 3-0
9/2/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 2, 2007
COLLEGE STATION -- The Rice soccer team made the most of its offensive opportunities and freshmen goalkeepers Meghan Erkel and Catherine Fitzsimmons combined to keep Ivy League power Dartmouth off the scoreboard as the Owls posted a 3-0 shutout over the Big Green for its first win of the season Sunday afternoon in a neutral setting at the Aggie Soccer Complex in College Station.
Like the team's season-opener just two days before at McNeese State, Rice jumped on the scoreboard for a pair of first half goals Sunday to take an early 2-0 lead. The Owls, however, avoided a repeat performance from Friday's contest where the team surrendered two second half goals and finished in a 2-2 tie after building a comfortable lead. With Friday's disappointing tie fresh on their minds, the Owls kept up the intensity in Sunday's second half, added a third goal on a penalty kick and preserved the the shutout with some good work by the freshmen keepers.
"I think we learned how important it is to stay focused for an entire game no matter what the score is," said Rice head coach Chris Huston. "We executed better than our first game, scoring more goals on fewer shots. We had some players step-up and this is a game we can build on."
Dartmouth came out early with the offensive pressure and took a corner kick in the opening minute, but a pair of stops gave Rice an emotional lift. In the seventh minute, sophomore Shelley Wong threaded a pass through some traffic to get the offense started. Senior Samantha Conn gained control and shot it from the left side to the lower right corner for her first goal of the season. Conn's 13th goal of her collegiate career gave the Blue & Gray a 1-0 lead.
In the 33rd minute, Christine Petric served the ball out of danger as the Big Green defenders closed in to contain the Rice attack. Petric's pass found Clory Martin inside the keeper's box and a quick-strike shot beat the Dartmouth keeper to the left side. Martin scored for the second time in as many games and the Owls doubled the margin to 2-0 heading into the intermission.
Rice decided to forego the game one deja vu and added a third goal in the 70th minute. Midfielder Kate Edwards was fouled on a breakaway to set up the team's first penalty kick of the year. The true freshman from Westlake Village, Calif., instructed her teammates she would take the shot and promptly scored with a blast low to the right side.
"All of us know we're a better team than what we showed on Friday," Edwards said. "We just needed to play like we're capable of playing for an entire game. Everyone played well today. How about those freshmen?"
Even though Dartmouth out-shot Rice for the game 11 to 9, Edwards' fellow freshmen goalkeeper crew preserved the shutout. Erkel started and made three saves in 79 minutes of work. Fitzsimmons played the final 11 minutes and notched a pair of saves of her own.
"Dartmouth came right at us like coach said they would," Erkel said. "The back line did a great job defending. We were all more comfortable today and I think that helped. It felt good playing, and a lot better winning."
Rice, undefeated at 1-0-1, next plays its home-opener on Friday. The contest is the first of two weekend home games on Sept. 9 & 11. The Owls host state rivals TCU on Friday at 7 pm followed by Stephen F. Austin on Sunday at 1 pm.
Team Stats
Samantha Conn (1)
Assisted By: Shelley Wong
GOAL by RICE Samantha Conn (FIRST GOAL), Assist by Shelley Wong, goal number 1 for season.
6:35
Clory Martin (2)
Assisted By: Christine Petric
pass inside six beat keeper, shot to lef
32:04
Kate Edwards (1)
RICE Kate Edwards PENALTY KICK GOAL, goal number 1 for season.
69:04
