Sept. 16, 2007
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NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Sasa Jackson’s goal 79 seconds into overtime gave the 16th-ranked Oklahoma State women’s soccer team a 2-1 win over 9th-ranked Notre Dame, in the final game at the Inn at Saint Mary’s Classic. Sunday’s earlier game also went to overtime, with Washington State outlasting Princeton in a 2-1, double-OT battle. The Cougars – led by senior goalkeeper Brynn Bemis (the tournament’s defensive MVP) – ultimately earned the tournament title, by virtue of Notre Dame’s loss (an Irish win would have given ND the team trophy, based on goal differential).
Notre Dame – which failed to capitalize on a 20-6 shot edge and a 7-2 corner-kick margin – lost at home for the first time since 2003, ending the third-longest home unbeaten streak (43 games; 41-0-2) in the NCAA Division I women’s soccer record book. The game also went counter to several other recent trends in Notre Dame women’s soccer:
• The Irish had won 19 straight series openers, dating back to early in the 2003 season
• Notre Dame lost for the first time ever when Kerri Hanks has scored a goal (now 33-1-0, from 2005-07)
• The Irish went eight years without an overtime loss (14-0-7, from 1999-2007) but now have lost OT games in back-to-back weeks
• Notre Dame headed to the 2006 College Cup final weekend with a perfect two-year record in Sunday games (24-0-0, dating back to the start of the ’06 season) but the Irish now have lost three of their past four Sunday games
• The Irish had won their home tournament in each of the previous four seasons and saw their nine-game win streak in home tournaments come to an end
• Oklahoma State became just the fourth team since 1993 (and first since ’02) to defeat the Irish in their first visit to Alumni Field; ND had posted 12 straight wins over first-time visitors (since ’02); the Cowgirls join UConn (’95), Purdue (’02) and BYU (’02) as the only teams since 1993 to beat ND in their first Alumni Field visit (4-43-1)
All-tournament selection Siera Strawser opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, after a Notre Dame turnover at the edge of its defensive third. The sophomore midfielder raced free into the left side of the box and launched a 16-yard shot over freshman goalkeeper Nikki Weiss into the far-right side of the net for Strawser’s first goal of the season (21:25).
Notre Dame – which has opened the scoring in only one of its six games this season – entered the intermission staring at the 1-0 deficit, despite owning a 9-2 shot edge and not allowing a corner kick in the first 45 minutes.
Hanks tied the game in the 69th minute, scoring directly on a free kick for the second straight game and the fifth time in her Notre Dame career. The junior forward struck the kick from 25 yards out on the left side, arching the ball around the wall and into the upper right corner of the net for her second goal of the season and 52nd of her Notre Dame career (68:01).
The Irish had several chances to score the go-ahead goal (and ultimately forego overtime) but the home team was held without multiple goals for the fourth time this season. Notre Dame continued to play without injured sophomore center back Haley Ford while the team’s other center back, junior Carrie Dew, still has yet to return to the elite form she displayed prior to suffering an ACL knee injury late in the 2006 season.
Oklahoma State made a noteworthy formation change in Sunday’s game by shifting its top player – senior Yolanda Odenyo – from the midfield to a center-back role. The strategy worked as Odenyo helped limit the Irish scoring, highlighted by Odenyo’s 65th-minute defensive save off the endline that denied Amanda Cinalli’s header from the right side.
Two minutes earlier, Notre Dame sophomore midfielder Courtney Rosen had cracked a strong leftfooted shot from the top of the box but Erin Stigler knocked the ball away for one of her eight saves in the game.
Dew had two of Notre Dame’s top chances at the go-ahead goal, with the first coming in the 76th minute after a set-play service from the right side. Dew was crashing the far-left post and deftly smacked a point-blank shot – but the ball banged off Stigler’s feet to maintain the 1-1 score. Three minutes later, the 5-foot-10 Dew connected on a header from close range but Stigler again made the key save.
The overtime quickly ended on a counter-attack sequence down the left side. The Cowgirls played the ball over the top and all-tournament selection Kasey Langdon was able to beat her defender before sending a cross from the left endline. Weiss was able to knock the ball down but the Irish defense again failed to clear the zone, with Jackson rushing in to poke home her team-leading fourth goal of the season (91:19).
Hanks earned the tournament offensive MVP award, after totaling two goals and an assist in the 4-2 win over Princeton and the loss to OSU (in addition to creating several other strong scoring chances for her teammates).
Princeton scored the day’s first goal early in the second half of their game with Washington State. Vic Anagnostopoulos took a pass from Melissa Whitley before lofting a long shot into the right side of the net for the 1-0 Tigers lead (47:46).
The Cougars gained the equalizer in the 70th minute, as all-tournament pick Kiersten Dallstream cashed in a long thru-ball from right back Maggie Dougher (69:32). Dallstream’s third goal of the season later won the game – just 31 seconds into the second overtime. Jenny Christoph picked up the assist with her leftside throw-in, as Dallstream appeared to surprise ‘keeper Maren Dale with a looping 35-yard shot from the center of the field.
1 2 OT – F
#16 Oklahoma State (5-1-0) 1 0 1 – 2
#9 Notre Dame (2-3-1) 0 1 0 – 1
OSU 1. Siera Strawser 1 (-) 21:25; ND 1. Kerri Hanks 2nd of season/52nd of career (free kick) 68:01; OSU 2. Sara Jackson 4 (-) 91:19.
Shots: OSU 2-3-1 – 6, ND 9-11-0 – 20
Corner Kicks: OSU 0-2-0 – 2, ND 2-5-0 – 7
Saves: OSU 9 (Erin Stigler 8, team 1), ND 3 (Nikki Weiss)
Fouls: OSU 17, ND 15
Offside: none
Yellow Cards: none
Attendance: 2,163
1 2 OT OT – F
Washington State (4-0-1) 0 1 0 1 – 2
Princeton (0-4-1) 0 1 0 0 – 1
PRIN 1. Vic Anagnostopoulos 1 (Melissa Whitley) 47:46; WSU 1. Kiersten Dallstream 2 (Maggie Dougher) 69:32; WSU 3. Dallstream 3 (Jenny Christoph) 100:31.
Shots: WSU 8-7-3-1 – 19, PRIN 4-5-2-0 – 11
Corner Kicks: WSU 3-2-0-0 – 5, PRIN 2-1-0-0 – 3
Saves: WSU 6 (Brynn Bemis 5, team 1), PRIN 6 (Maren Dale)
Fouls: WSU 11, PRIN 9
Offside: WSU 0, PRIN 1
Yellow Cards: none
Inn at Saint Mary’s Classic All-Tournament Team
Defensive MVP and Goalkeeper MVP – Brynn Bemis (Washington State, Sr.)
Offensive MVP – Kerri Hanks (ND; F, Jr.)
Other all-tournament picks (in addition to Bemis and Hanks)
Washington State – Kiersten Dallstream (F, So.), Mallory Fox (M, So.), Natalie Elkind (M, Sr.)
Oklahoma State – Kasey Langdon (M, So.), Siera Strawser (M, So.), Yolanda Odenyo (M/D, Sr.)
Notre Dame – Amanda Cinalli (M, Sr.), Carrie Dew (D, Jr.)
Princeton – Jen Om (M, Jr.)