ASC Women’s Soccer Split Opening Games of 2010 Season

Chris Day
ASC Sports Information

The Adams State women’s soccer team came out on top in a rough and physical contest at Murphy Field on Friday afternoon, claiming a 3-1 victory in a non-conference match against CSU-Pueblo to notch its first season-opening win since 2008.
The Grizzlies than struck first on Jessica Hellweg’s second goal in as many games, but the offense stalled in the second half and the ASC women’s soccer team fell, 2-1, against Midland Lutheran (Neb.) on Sunday afternoon.
The Grizzlies and ThunderWolves showed they weren’t afraid to play hard, combining for 37 fouls in the match and three yellow cards. Aggressive play led to a lengthy stalemate in the first half, where neither team was able to find its way onto the board nearly 35 minutes.
But the scoreless tie was broken when ASC sophomore Kaylee Smith delivered a corner kick into the box that junior Hellweg found on the bounce and deposited into the back of the net. The goal puts Hellweg’s career total at nine, and moves her into sole possession of fourth on the Grizzlies all-time list.
CSU-Pueblo answered back quickly, as Angela Mendoza managed to place a shot just over the head of junior keeper Oralia Guiterrez from 20 yards out with under seven minutes remaining in the opening half.
ASC managed to regain the lead before the half off the foot of Kaylee’s sister, freshman Whitney Smith, who corralled in a rebound on a Hellweg shot and put the Grizzlies up, 2-1, while notching her first career goal. Hellweg got the assist on the goal, giving her 21 career points and moving her into a tie for seventh in the ASC record books.
The final goal of the contest came following a handball was called on the ThunderWolves in the box. Junior Amber Drumm took the ensuing penalty kick for the Grizzlies, and managed to convert the opportunity and expand the lead to 3-1. It was Drumm’s eighth career goal, which moves her into a tie for fifth in program history, and moves her into a tie for first all-time with two successful penalty kicks. Additionally, it was the first penalty kick for Adams State since Drumm converted one during a season-opening win on August 28, 2008 in her first college game against Wayne College (Neb.).
Hellweg and Kaylee and Whitney Smith each took three shots to lead the Grizzlies on offense. Junior Autumn Boyer took a pair of shots as did freshman Bryanna Brown. Drumm, junior Erika Bendele, sophomore Alyssa Smith and sophomore Jenna Iwaniec each fired one shot.
Gutierrez played solid in the net throughout the day, making five saves and allowing just the one goal, before giving way to freshman Hannah Kohlts, who made three saves in 29 minutes.
Adams State topped the ThunderWolves by the same score last season, and have now taken two straight matches from CSU-Pueblo after putting up an 0-5-1 mark in the previous six meetings between the two teams. Friday’s win also gives the Grizzlies their first season-opening win since 2008 and their second under fourth-year head coach Tom Cliff.
A Grizzlies-ThunderWolves rematch will take place in Pueblo, Colo. on October 8, when the teams meet up for a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference match. CSU-Pueblo was picked to finish eighth in the RMAC Preseason Women’s Soccer Coaches’ Poll, while the Grizzlies were picked for 10th.
Adams State took the field for its first meeting with the Warriors, an NAIA national tournament qualifier in 2009, looking to get off to its best start since 2003 when the Grizzlies won their first three matches of the season.
With just over 20 minutes remaining in the first half Hellweg wound up with her left foot from the far right wing and found the open side of the net, giving the Grizzlies a 1-0 lead. The goal also upped her career total to 10, and gave her sole possession of sixth place in the ASC record books with 23 career points.
At the intermission Adams State was dominating everywhere but the scoreboard. The Grizzlies outshot the Warrios 10-4 in the opening half and held a 3-1 advantage in shots on goal. But Midland Lutheran made its one shot on target count. A header from Kayleen Colson off a cross from Jule Martinek found the back of the net just shy of the 30-minute mark to knot the score at 1-1.
ASC fired off another eight shots in the second half, but was unable to find the scoreboard again and only put one shot on goal.Midland Lutheran appeared to grab a 2-1 lead 10 minutes into the second period, but the goal was waved off after an offsides call against the Warriors. But four minutes later they would end up taking the lead. After a pair of yellow cards were handed out to Grizzly sophomore Michelle Little and MLU’s Colson, Brooke Giebler lined up for a free kick from 35 yards and found an opening just over Kohlts, who was making her first career start.
Trailing by a goal and with time running out, the Grizzlies fought hard to score the equalizer, taking four shots over the final 10 minutes. But Adams State was unable to get any past Warriors netminder Anna Petersen.
Hellweg’s three shots and two on goal were tops for the Grizzlies, while Iwaniec and Alyssa Smith took three shots apiece as well Autumn Boyer and Drumm and Kaylee Smith each took two shots, while Bendele, sophomore Passion Griffin and freshman Shely Janz chipped in a shot each.The Grizzlies back line of Griffin, junior Brooke Dudley and Drumm allowed just three shots on goal, tied for the fifth fewest in ASC history.
ASC will now take to the road for the first time this fall, heading to San Angelo, Texas to take part in the Angelo State Invitational. On Friday, Septebmer 10, the Grizzlies will meet up with the host Rams, who tied Emporia State, 0-0, to open their season on Friday, and were in action against Missouri Western on Sunday. The Grizzlies are 1-1 all-time against Angelo State, after falling by a 2-1 margin in their first meeting in 2003 in Alamosa, but claimed the victory when the teams last met in San Angelo on September 5, 2004, by a 1-0 score.
Adams State will then close out its stay in the Lone Star State with a neutral site contest against Texas-Permian Basin on Sunday, September 12. The Grizzlies fell to the Falcons, 7-2, in the teams’ only prior meeting in September of 2008. Texas-Permian hosted Schreiner University (Texas) in its first match of the fall on Sunday afternoon.