Oct. 11, 2002
Box Score
DENVER - The University of Denver women's soccer team took advantage of early opportunities and maintained pressure in the second half to cruise to a resounding, 6-0, victory over Middle Tennessee in a Sun Belt Conference match on Friday afternoon (Oct. 11) at Pioneer Field. Denver, unbeaten against the Blue Raiders in four straight, extended its home winning streak to 10 consecutive games and improves to 9-1-2 overall, 4-0 in league play. Middle Tennessee snaps a three-game winning streak and falls to 6-7-1, 2-2 in the SBC.
Denver opened the scoring barrage early in the first half with a goal by junior forward Jenni Harris (Littleton, Colo.), her fifth of the year, in the 18th minute. Junior defender Jamie Norwood (Littleton, Colo.) set up the play with a crossing pass from the left corner. Harris beat a MTSU defender to the ball and headed it into the back of the net to put Denver up 1-0. Senior captain Kristin Warren (Littleton, Colo.) recorded her fifth tally of the season late in the half with a shot from the left corner of the 18-yard box that slipped by MTSU keeper Emily Shrum at the near post. The Pioneer defense held Middle Tennessee to one shot in the opening period and took a 2-0 lead into the intermission.
Junior forward Melissa Behrent (Westminster, Colo.) struck again for the Pioneers when she finished a Norwood corner kick in the opening minutes of the second half to extend the lead and record her second marker of the season. Denver's attack sustained pressure in the final third and entertained the home-town crowd with three more goals in the half to pull way for the convincing win. Senior midfielder Camile Flenniken (Northglenn, Colo.) registered her first tally of the season in the 53rd minute when she one-timed a pass from senior defender Carrie Ellis (Denver, Colo.) at the top of the 18-yard box that curled into the upper right corner of the net to put Denver ahead, 4-0.
Middle Tennessee registered an own goal in the 84th minute when a Blue Raider defender kicked the ball backwards into her own net attempting to clear a Denver corner kick. Senior defender Angie Portincaso (Littleton, Colo.) finished the scoring for Denver with her second goal of the year in the 86th minute when she fired a shot from 30-yards out that sailed over the out-stretched arms of Shrum.
Denver's defense was relentless against the Blue Raider attack and held their scoring leaders to just three shots on the afternoon. Senior keeper Erica Izard (Fort Collins, Colo.) recorded two saves for Denver en route to her school-record 36th career shutout. She also earned her 44th career win and is now just one win shy of first place on Denver's all-time wins list (Jen Simmons, 45). Shrum was credited with six stops for Middle Tennessee. For the game Denver out-shot MTSU 22-3 and dominated the corner kick battle 14-1.
"I am very pleased with the team's performance today," said head coach Jeff Hooker. "We have been working on ways to improve our efficiency and quickness through the middle and our midfielders came out and executed very well. We had a lot more movement from the forwards in the final third, which resulted in more scoring chances for us. This team stayed focused and maintained discipline throughout the game and showed that they are deserving of the credit they receive."
The Pioneers will put their 10-game home winning streak on the line this Sunday (Oct. 13) against Sun Belt Conference opponent Western Kentucky at noon.
