CSR (NCAA III Tournament Run Over For Calvin Women's Soccer Team)

CALVIN MID-DAY SPORTS REPORT FOR November 18, 2006

NCAA III TOURNAMENT RUN OVER FOR CALVIN WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM

NCAA Division III Women's Soccer

Elite 8 at University of Rochester
(Written by U. of Rochester SID Dennis O'Donnell)
 

#11 Messiah 1, #2 Calvin College 1 (2 OT) Messiah, 5-3 PKs
 

Rochester, New York (November 18, 2006) - Defending national champion
Messiah College made all five of its penalty kicks in a 5-3 shootout
decision to advance past Calvin College in an NCAA Division III Elite 8
game at Edwin Fauver Stadium.

The teams tied, 1-1, through double overtime. Messiah
advances to the NCAA Division III Final Four in Florida next weekend.
The Falcons are 18-2-1. Calvin finishes the season an 22-0-1.

 "Our players did everything I asked them to do in the second
half," said Calvin coach Mark Recker. "Messiah's got some quality
talent."

 Messiah took a 1-0 lead into the locker room after a superb
solo effort by Rachel Horning. She collected a ball on left wing,
changed direction twice in the penalty area, then ot it onto her right
foot where she slotted it past Calvin goalkeeper Alyssa Bergsma inside
the near (left) post at 37:50.

"We've been waiting for that (kind of result) all year,"
said Messiah coach Scott Frey who previously served as the head men's soccer
coach at Alma College. "She's been setting up others and getting
in herself, but hasn't been able to finish."

Recker knew his defense would have to be tough against the
Falcons who can possess the ball for long periods. "The fact that the
goal was scored late in the first half reinforced my idea that our
defense was playing well," he said.

Frey agreed. "Their defense was quick to recover," he said.
"They are very athletic and quick in the back row."

At halftime, Recker changed strategy. The Knights like to
look for strikers Sarah Weesies and Jill Capel up high. Recker added a
third frontrunner to apply pressure to the Messiah defense. It paid
dividends quickly with an equalizer nine minutes into the half.

Players from each side collided at midfield as play
continued. The ball came to Capel on right wing. She dashed down the
right sideline and served a high ball into the middle. Elizabeth Ribbens
ran hard to the near (front) post to deflect the ball into the roof of
the net at 53:53.

 "They outworked us in the second half," Frey said. "Their chances came from
great effort. Our defenders relaxed and we paid for relaxing."

Twelve minutes later, Calvin's Noell Berghius sent a 35-yard
pass straight up the middle of the field and found Weesies running even
with a Falcon defender. Weesies got a step, then two more with the
Falcon in pursuit but mis-hit the shot and drove it well wide of the
left post.

 Frey was breathing a little easier after that, but not by
much. "(Weesies) is one of those who anticipates where the next (play)
is going. Those players are very hard to find," he said. "Most forwards
don't work hard like that."

Each team had a handful of chances in the final 10 minutes.
Horning sent a left wing ball past Calvin's Kayla Sulzer in goal but it
got past Messiah's Stef Rowe and Cali Pitchel as well and Calvin cleared
for a corner kick. With seven minutes left, Emily Cope fired from the
top of the area and Sulzer punched it over the bar for a corner kick.

 Calvin threatened, too. One of the game's best opportunities
came when Emily Ottenhoff hit a long swerving ball from left wing that
originally looked like a cross. As it dipped, it swerved towards the
back right post and Messiah keeper Brindley Beckwith had to lean back
and grab it just before it could go in. "Brindley was solid in the
second half," Frey said.

 In the shootout, the goalpost played a major role. Pitchel
shot first and scored to the low left corner. Capel shot for Calvin. Her
shot glanced off the left upright.

After each team made it's next two shots (Jen Michener and
Cope for Messiah, Tricia DeVries and Weesies for Calvin), Messiah led,
3-2. Rowe's shot on round four was palmed out by Bergsma. It hit the
right post and bounced back into the goal. Ashley Bolen pulled Calvin
within 4-3. Avie Fitzgerald clinched it for Messiah on the fifth shot,
driving it to the low left.

Jeff Febus
Sports Information Director
Calvin College
(616) 526-6169 Office
(616) 526-8551 Fax
Received on Sat Nov 18 17:20:33 2006