W. soccer falls to Wisconsin in double-OT thriller

MADISON, Wis. — The women's soccer team almost carried Wisconsin. On the chilly shores of Madison's Lake Mendota, the Tigers nearly pulled off a first-round NCAA tournament upset. However, after playing 117 minutes and 50 seconds of scoreless soccer, Wisconsin junior Natalie Roedler flicked a corner kick past senior keeper Jordan Rettig for the golden goal, ending Princeton's season with a 1-0 loss.

"It was an exciting, even, well-played game," head coach Julie Shackford said. "At that point in the game, it becomes about little things. One corner kick, one missed clear, and that's it."

The double overtime loss moved Princeton's final record to 13-5 on the season, and continued its recent run of NCAA tournament struggles. Last year, the Tigers ended their season in similar fashion, losing in the first round to Hartford by a score of 2-1. They are now 1-4 all time in the Women's College Cup. Wisconsin, however, improved its record to 16-6-1 and will travel east next week to face off against 13th-ranked UConn.

Princeton (13-5 overall, 6-1 Ivy League) took the NCAA's automatic bid for the Ivy League by winning the regular season title. All the Tigers' hard work, however, was rewarded with a road matchup against the No. 20 Badgers.

Despite the long trip into unfamiliar territory, Princeton forced overtime with 90 minutes of solid defense and tough midfield play. Neither team could get good scoring chances in regulation, as most of the time was spent trading possession in the midfield.

Junior defender Kelly Sosa and junior midfielder Liz Patrick took turns marking Wisconsin's speedy forward Allison Wagner. Wagner — the second-leading scorer in the Big Ten — ended the day with four shots and no points. The Badgers returned the favor, however, limiting Princeton's leading scorer, freshman forward Theresa Sherry, to just one shot.

Lost chances

The Tigers had opportunities to put the game away in overtime, but their attempts were thwarted by the physical play of the Badger defense. With five minutes, 40 seconds to go in the first overtime, senior forward Amee Reyes received a through ball that she was able to put into the back of the net for an apparent game-winning goal. The linesman's raised flag squelched any Princeton celebrations, however. Minutes later, sophomore forward Krista Ariss would miss Reyes again on a pass that would have offered the senior yet another clear path to the Wisconsin goal.

In the second overtime period, freshman forward Liz Bell had the best Tiger scoring chance as she sent a blistering shot off the crossbar from 20 yards out. Minutes later, the Badgers put the game away with the contest's lone goal.

After the game, Shackford was pleased with her team's efforts throughout the 2000 season.

"We wanted to win the Ivies and the first round of the NCAA's," Shackford said. "We played hard today, and just came up one goal short. But that's soccer."

Reflecting on the year and the anticipated delivery of her first child, Shackford said, "This baby is going to be either a nervous wreck or one heck of a competitor after experiencing this season."