Oct. 25, 2002
Box Score
DENVER - Seniors Katie Antongiovanni (Bakersfield, Calif.) and Camile Flenniken (Northglenn, Colo.) each tallied two goals to lead the 15th-ranked University of Denver women's soccer team to a record-setting victory over Florida International, 4-0, in the Sun Belt Conference regular season finale on Friday (Oct. 25) afternoon at Pioneer Field. With the win, a school-record tying 11th straight, Denver clinches its first-ever SBC regular season title as the only undefeated team in the league (8-0) and earns the No. 1 seed for the upcoming SBC Tournament. The Pioneers extend their conference unbeaten streak to a league-record 15 regular season games with their fifth straight shutout and improve to 13-1-2 overall. Florida International snaps a two-game unbeaten streak and falls to 2-12-2, 2-2-1 in league play.
The Pioneers opened slowly in the first half, but gained momentum midway through the period when Flenniken chipped in the go-ahead goal in the 28th minute. Junior Mychael Movius (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) set up the play with a crossing ball to senior Kerri Weaver (Littleton, Colo.) that was blocked by FIU keeper Adrienne McWilliams. The ball then rolled loosely out to the right side of the box to a wide-open Flenniken who tapped it into the empty net to give the Pioneers a 1-0 lead and record her first game-winner of the season.
Antongiovanni added her team-leading 10th goal of the season minutes later on a similar play from the left side after senior Kristin Warren's (Littleton, Colo.) shot from the right corner of the box was deflected by McWilliams out into the open. Antongiovanni beat a Golden Panther defender to the ball and tapped it into the back of the net to give Denver a comfortable 2-0 lead heading into the intermission.
Denver opened the second half with the same pressure they ended the first half with and continued to dominate play throughout the middle third. FIU was held without a controlled possession in offensive end of field in the second half and ended the game with only two shots to its credit. Junior Jenni Harris (Littleton, Colo.) set up Antongiovanni's second goal of the afternoon by drawing a foul inside the penalty box in the 85th minute. Harris accepted a feed just inside the 18-yard box and attempted to turn the defender for a shot, but was taken down with a tackle from behind that drew a whistle. Antongiovanni was given the nod for the free try and buried the ball into the lower left corner of the net to put the Pioneers ahead 3-0.
The Pioneers refused to yield in the waning minutes and earned a corner kick with less than one minute to play. Junior Jamie Norwood's (Littleton, Colo.) free kick from the left side was re-directed out into middle of the field by an FIU defender to Flenniken, who controlled the ball and fired a shot from 20 yards out that found the back of the net to provide the final score of 4-0.
Senior keeper Erica Izard (Fort Collins, Colo.) was forced to make two saves on the afternoon to extend her own school records with her 48th career win and 40th career shutout. Izard also extends her personal shutout streak to 472:58 with her fifth consecutive knockout.
The Pioneers will put their 12-game home winning streak on the line and celebrate the final home game for seven seniors next Saturday (Nov. 2) against Minnesota at 1 p.m. in the regular season finale at Pioneer Field.
DENVER WOMEN'S SOCCER
at Denver, Colo.
1 2 -- F
Florida Internatioal 0 0 -- 0
#15 Denver 2 2 -- 4
SCORING SUMMARY:
1. 27:42 DEN Camile Flenniken (2) (Kerri Weaver)
2. 31:25 DEN Katie Antongiovanni (10) (Kristin Warren)
3. 84:38 DEN Katie Antongiovanni (11) (penalty kick)
4. 89:26 DEN Camile Flenniken (3) (unassisted)
SHOTS: Denver 24, Florida International 2
CORNER KICKS: Denver 14, Florida International 0
FOULS: Denver 7, Florida International 6
SAVES: Denver 2, Florida International 6
OFFSIDES: Denver 5, Florida International 0.