Alabama Soccer Downs Akron 4-0, Wins Nike Classic

Sunday, September 4

Albuquerque, N.M.

12:00 p.m

Alabama

3-0-0

Akron

1-2-1

AKRON

Alabama Soccer Downs Akron 4-0, Wins Nike Classic

9/4/2005 12:00:00 AM | Soccer

Box Score

Sunday, September 04, 2005

Susie Beard

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Alabama soccer used four goals Sunday afternoon to defeat the Akron Zips and win the New Mexico Nike Classic. The Crimson Tide finished 2-0 on the weekend and improved its overall record to 3-0 on the season.

“It’s real encouraging to come away with a tournament championship,” Alabama head coach Don Staley said. “I’m very pleased with this weekend’s result.”

Twenty-eight minutes into the first half, redshirt-freshman Susie Beard scored her first collegiate goal and what turned out to be the game-winner. Beard intercepted an Akron pass near midfield and dribbled through defenders before firing a shot from 15 yards out that cleared the reach of Akron goalkeeper Krystin Wilson.

Alabama scored three more goals in the second half to put the Zips away. Kara Gudmens recorded her first career win in net in her second career start. Gudmens and Karen Lansden combined for Alabama’s second consecutive shut-out.

“Akron posed some problems for us in the latter stages of the first half,” Staley said. “Gudmens made an unbelievable save to keep the momentum in our favor. We wanted to come out and increase the tempo in the second half and move away from a possession style offensive to a more aggressive attack and we were successful.”

The Crimson Tide dominated play throughout the game. Alabama managed 15 shots in the game to Akron’s eight. The few times the Zips threatened to score, Alabama’s defense turned them away.

Senior forward Libby Probst started the Tide’s scoring in the second half. At 70:51, Probst fired a shot from five yards out on the left side of the box that ricocheted past Wilson and into the net. The goal was Probst’s fourth of the season and 22 career goal.

Then, late in the half, Alabama perfectly executed back-to-back corner kicks to seal the win. At 81:30 Allison DeLisle capitalized on Gillian Kilburn’s corner kick for her second goal of the weekend. Four minutes later, Callie Pike did the same.

“We put a lot of emphasis in our set plays,” Staley said. “There will be times when we may not match up well with our opponents, but our set plays are the great equalizer. I’ve felt that we’ve been close but today our execution was outstanding.”

Alabama will play its home opener Friday night against in-state foe UAB. The game will begin at 7 p.m. at the Alabama Soccer Complex. Admission is free, however all fans in attendance will have the opportunity to make donations for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.