Griz fall to Big Sky-leading Lumberjacks
10/22/2010 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Northern Arizona scored five first-half goals and went on to a 5-0 victory over Montana Friday afternoon on cold, windy and rainy day in Flagstaff, Ariz. The Lumberjacks remained unbeaten in Big Sky Conference play through five matches, improving to 4-0-1, 9-3-3 overall.
Montana, which was shut out for the fourth time in five league matches, dropped to 2-12-2 on the season, 1-4-0 in Big Sky play.
Northern Arizona, which scored on five of its eight shots on goal, did most of its scoring damage on set pieces out of the corner. The Lumberjacks took three first-half corner kicks and scored on all three.
NAU went up 1-0 in the 12th minute on a 35-yard shot that snuck through Griz freshman keeper Kendra McMillen???s legs, then took a 2-0 lead on a header off a corner kick in the 19th minute.
Brandy Carr made it 3-0 in the 27th minute off another corner. The Lumberjacks??? initial shot off the corner was saved by McMillen, but Carr was there for the rebound.
Carr struck again in the 40th minute, putting in a cross from 10 yards out for her fourth goal of the season.
The match???s final goal came off NAU???s third corner kick of the first half. Corie McGuire???s corner found Shawnee Morgan, who found Dana Williams for her first goal of the season in the 42nd minute.
???Defending set pieces has been a strength for us all season, so credit NAU for finishing their chances today,??? UM coach Neil Sedgwick said. ???They are a very senior team, and that made a huge difference tonight.
???Our seniors did well, but for our freshmen and sophomores it is still a challenge. But the experience that they are getting bodes well for the future.???
Montana ended up taking five corner kicks to Northern Arizona???s four, but the Grizzlies only took four shots in the match and only put one on goal.
???We had good periods of possession and we created some trouble in the attacking third, but we were simply not dangerous enough today close to goal.???
Sedgwick credited seniors Teresa Huemann and Kaitlyn Heinsohn and freshmen Mary Makris and India Watne with putting together solid performances.
Northern Arizona keeper Tori Rocke, who leads the Big Sky Conference in goals against average, save percentage and shutouts, posted her seventh shutout of the season and improved to 7-1-1.
NAU has gone 8-0-1 over its last nine matches, with seven shutout victories.
The Lumberjacks took 16 shots in the match. Eleven different players took at least one shot.
Heinsohn took two shots to lead Montana. She put the team???s lone shot on goal.
Montana will play its final home match of the season Sunday afternoon against Northern Colorado. The match starts at noon at South Campus Stadium.
The Bears (9-4-2, 2-1-1 BSC) host Eastern Washington (2-11-1, 2-2-0 BSC) Friday night in Greeley, Colo.
