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Life > Athletics > Soccer > 9/30/07
WOOD’S FREE KICKS SPARK RIVERHAWKS TO 3-1 WIN OVER PIONEERS
Box Score
DENTON, Texas (September 30) – Three free kicks from senior defender Lori Wood created goals for Northeastern State University and propelled the Riverhawks to a 3-1 win over the Texas Woman’s University Pioneers on Sunday afternoon at the TWU Soccer Field.
NSU junior forward Sarah Spencer scored two goals in the game off of Wood’s free kicks. Spencer also assisted on the third Riverhawk goal after a Wood free kick.
In the 42 nd minute of the first half, Wood lifted a free kick towards the TWU net that caromed off the left post of the Pioneer goal directly to NSU midfielder Jennifer White. White fired a quick shot at the TWU cage that was denied by the Pioneers’ goalkeeper, Aly Vincent. Unfortunately for the home team, the ball rebounded off of Vincent and right to Spencer who tapped it into the empty net to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
Late in the second half, with game tied at 1, Wood created another score for NSU when she blasted a free kick towards the right hand corner of the TWU goal. Spencer leaped high into the air and was able to flick the ball with her head past the outstretched arms of Vincent to score what would prove to be the game-winning marker. Just over two minutes later, in the game’s 79 th minute, the Riverhawks added an insurance goal when Spencer headed down a Wood free kick directly to the foot of Spalding who then rifled the ball into the TWU net.
TWU head coach Fleur Benatar justifiably gave credit to Wood for the Riverhawks goals.
“Free kicks into the box are dangerous, regardless of who is taking them for the opposition,” explained Benatar. “Wood, however, presented an even greater challenge for us because her balls were so precisely placed. She put the ball where she wanted, and then Spencer was able to go into the air and get it. We needed to react quicker in the box and we just didn’t do that.”
It was a frustrating day offensively for the Pioneers, who managed only one goal in the game despite outshooting the Riverhawks by a 22-13 margin. Junior midfielder Theresa Sanches netted the lone TWU goal in the 49 th minute when she dribbled the ball to the top of the NSU box, cut in front of a Riverhawks defender and drilled a shot into the lower left hand corner of the NSU goal.
“The most frustrating thing for me is that we had so many chances to score,” said Benatar. “Time and time again we had players free in the box or in front of the goal with an opportunity to score and we just didn’t get it done. In order for us to start winning games, we have to learn how to finish.”
The conference defeat drops the Pioneer record to 3-7-1 for the year and 0-2 in LSC play. With the win, NSU improves to 4-5-1 for the season and 2-1 in the conference.
TWU will go on the road for two conference contests next week as they play at the University of Central Oklahoma on Friday, October 5, and then at Southwestern Oklahoma State University on Sunday, October 7.
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