Creighton University
Drake
Creighton Women's Soccer Remains Undefeated in Valley Play
10/14/2010 10:25:00 PM | Women's Soccer
OMAHA, Neb. - Creighton battled all 90 minutes and used a goal by freshman Lauren Cingoranelli to shut down the Drake Bulldogs 1-0 Thursday night. The victory puts the Jays at 11-2-2 overall, a perfect 4-0-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference, and extends the winning streak to nine matches. The loss drops Drake to 8-5-3 overall and 1-3-0 in The Valley. Alicia Montgomery recorded her fifth shutout of the season, team's eighth, playing all 90 minutes and recording six saves.
"Drake played very hard tonight - they are always a physical team," said head coach Bruce Erickson. "We really had to work hard and earn the win tonight."
Neither team got on the board in the first half, although both teams applied pressure on the offensive end and had their chances. Creighton's two best chances came in the 25th minute and the 37th minute. In the 25th minute, Andrea Zuniga played a corner kick into the box from the close side, then charged a rebound and shot a ball that was saved by a Drake defender standing on the goal line. The second chance, in the 37th minute, had Cingoranelli receiving a ball from Brittney Neumann, turning and firing a ball to the upper right corner that Bulldog goalkeeper Kalena Litch dove and stopped.
The Jays took 10 shots in the first half while the Bulldogs took seven. Creighton had five on goal, with Drake putting three balls on goal. Zuniga and Cingoranelli each had two shots on goal in the half, and Alicia Montgomery had three saves in the first half. Creighton had the only two corner kicks of the first half, but couldn't manage to convert either into a goal.
Drake gave Creighton a scare early in the second half, when Paige Dusek put a ball in the back of the net off a dead ball kick. The goal was called back after being called offsides, just two minutes into the second half.
"We created enough chances tonight, maybe more than in the other 1-0 matches, and didn't get that 2nd or 3rd goal," said Erickson. "Drake played hard and we really had to play until the final whistle."
The Jays scored the only goal of the match in the 79th minute of play. Cingoranelli scored her sixth goal of the season when Neumann and Zuniga had a give-and-go and then sent the ball into the middle of the field. Cingoranelli then headed the ball to the right side of the net, just passed the outstretched hands of Litch. Cingoranelli now leads all Valley freshmen with six goals on the season, and is third in the league in the category. Neumann and Zuniga each now have five assists, tying them for second on the team.
"I am very proud of the girls," said Erickson. "It is always tough to play during midterm week and you never know what kind of focus you will get. We earned this win tonight."
The Jays return home on Saturday when they welcome Cal State Bakersfield on Senior Day. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m. from Morrison Stadium. It is the first meeting between the two schools. Creighton will honor five seniors on the 16th who are playing their last season for the Jays: Tara Bailey, Grace Kwon, Eden Hingwing, Emily Orbell and Claire Zach will each be honored before the match.
