University of Louisville
Ohio
No. 25 Cardinals Overcome Deficit To Beat Bobcats 2-1
September 05, 2007 | Women's Soccer
Sept. 5, 2007
ATHENS, Ohio - Sophomore Lindsay Boling scored a goal in the final five minutes to lift the 25th-ranked University of Louisville women's soccer team to a 2-1 come from behind win over Ohio Wednesday afternoon.
The win improves the Cardinals to 3-0 on the season, joining the 2005 Cards as the only teams to do so. It is the third time in school history that the team has gone without a defeat through three games, all under current Head Coach Karen Ferguson who is in her eighth season. The 2006 Cards were undefeated through a school record seven games, going 6-0-1.
The Cardinals came out on the attack from the opening whistle. Four minutes in freshman forward Kelsey Hunyadi broke through the Bobcat (0-2-1) defense, but her breakaway effort was stopped by Ohio goalkeeper Jess MacLean.
Louisville continued to press throughout the first half, finishing the half with four of their 10 shots on goal, but it was the Bobcats who were first to take advantage of their chances in the 34th minute. A long through ball fell to the feet of Maggie Rojas-Alford as she broke free of the Cardinal defense, and when Louisville goalkeeper Joanna Haig came out to close ground, Rojas managed to side-foot the ball over Haig and into the far corner of the net for a 1-0 advantage.
Despite outshooting the Bobcats 10-4 in the half, the Cardinals went into the half trailing for the first time this season.
As the second half began Louisville committed to the attack in hopes of getting the equalizer, but as they threw numbers forward the game opened up and chances fell for both teams. In the face of increased pressure Haig held steady in the Louisville goal, finishing with seven saves and allowing the Cardinals to remain within striking distance.
In the 69th minute a bit of hard work led to a bit of good fortune when Cardinal forward Shannon Smyth intercepted an errant backpass from a Ohio defender, dribbled around MacLean, and calmly passed the ball into the net to tie the game at one with her first goal of the season.
The game continued to flow back and forth, but with extra time looming over the match the Cardinals broke the deadlock.
The ball fell to Hunyadi at midfield, and as she turned to run at the Bobcat defense she spotted Boling breaking free on the left side. Hunyadi slipped the pass in behind the Ohio defense straight into Boling's path, allowing her to walk in one vs. one with the goalkeeper. Noticing the goalkeeper was closing down upon her, Boling showed great composure and slid the ball into the far right corner of the net, her first goal of the season to put the Cardinals up 2-1.
Louisville will take its perfect record into the home opener on Sunday against the Butler Bulldogs beginning at 1:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the gate, or by calling the ticket office at 502.852.5151.
