PORTSMOUTH – Two direct kicks from just outside the penalty box did the women's soccer squad in during its season opener Friday afternoon on the Shawnee Turf. Despite conceding six corners to Rochester (1-1-1), the Bears (0-1) played stingy defense all afternoon and allowed the Warriors just eight shots. However, two of those eight shots came on direct kicks from about 25 yards out and were the difference in the overtime game.
For the Bears, Jessica Fair scored the equalizer midway through the second half but Shawnee State just could not beat Cheyanne Daniels, the Warriors goalkeeper for the remainder of the game. In net, sophomore Emily Kuehn played all 97:20 in the goal and made three saves on the afternoon. For the visitors, Daniels made five saves on six shots. The Bears outshot Rochester, 14-8, but only put six of those targets on frame.
Right out of the gates, Shawnee State looked to be on the verge of jumping out early when Allison Nagle broke free behind the Warriors' defense. However, Daniels came out of her net to make a sliding effort and preserve the scoreless game. After 10-plus minutes of neither team being able to get a shot off, Shawnee State was called for a foul just outside of the 18-yard box. Rochester's Miranda Viaene would take advantage of the chance from the left side with 16:12 remaining in the first half, giving her team the 1-0 lead.
Each side's goalie was forced to make a stop in opening six minutes of the second half, but Fair would knock home the second shot of the half for the Bears' only goal of the afternoon with 37:29 to play, knotting the score at 1-1. Her goal came from the top of the 18 that was bouncing around in the box before she made solid contact to beat the keeper to the post. Four minutes later, Shawnee State had three more chances within a five minute span, but the first shot was saved while the next two attempts sailed wide of the frame. Shawnee State would end up taking the final six shots of regulation, but to no avail as the two squads went scoreless to overtime.
In the overtime frame, it was Rochester that controlled the majority of the possession. The Warriors took the only three shots of the extra time and also had a corner kick during that time. However, it was a called hand ball shortly after a throw-in that gave Rochester its shot for the win. Just like in the first half, Viaene would strike the ball around the wall and out of the reach of a diving Kuehn. The goal came 8:40 into the first 10 minute overtime frame.
The Bears will now look to put this loss behind them and get ready for the second home game of the season. They will be back in action next Tuesday, August 28 at 4 p.m. against West Virginia Tech. They will also have a home game on next Thursday at home against Malone College before heading out on the road.
