Alabama
Samford (Scrimmage)
Samford Tops Alabama Soccer in Exhibition
8/19/2006 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
TUSCALOOSA -- The University of Alabama soccer team fell 1-0 to the Samford Bulldogs Saturday in its season-opening exhibition at the UA Soccer Complex.
Samford’s Kim Matthews scored the game-winning goal at 62:19 when her shot from the left wing deflected off Alabama defender Hayley MacDonald’s foot and into the net. The goal was the third and final shot-on-goal for the Bulldogs in the game.
“This is what we needed,” Alabama head coach Don Staley said. “Samford is a quality team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year. We have some injuries that we have to deal with and tonight’s game gave us a chance to take inventory of what we have. We have to do a better job of managing the clock in the final 5:00 as well and getting more scoring opportunities.”
Staley coached the entire game with a short bench Saturday. The Crimson Tide played just 16 players in the contest and worked with just five players off the bench.
Despite the limited numbers, Alabama matched Samford in shots and shots-on-goal. Jordan O’Banion gave the Tide, perhaps, its best scoring opportunity mid-way through the second half when she turned a fired a shot that landed just wide of the goal.
“We saw a glimpse tonight of how good we can be up top,” Staley said. “Jordan turned and hit the ball well but missed just wide. I like this team and they’re going to have a chance to do good things, but every game for us this year is going to be a nail-bitter. We have to understand that we’re going to have to execute better in certain situations and kids on our bench are going to be expected to enter the game and execute.”
The game’s opening half lacked much action at all. Both teams combined for just seven shots and Alabama’s O’Banion and Kailey Corken had the only two shots-on-goal.
Things opened up however, in the second half. All five of the Tide’s corner kicks came in the final 45:00 and the two teams combined for 20 shots, with Matthews’ goal the only shot to find the back of the net.
Alabama mounted one last effort in the closing seconds with two consecutive corner kicks. Corken’s loft from the left corner was cleared out by a Samford defender before MacDonald fired a shot that deflected over the endline. Jessie Deegan then took another corner that was cleared as time expired.
The Tide will officially begin the 2006 season on August 25 when it travels to Nashville, Tennessee to play Denver.
