The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Long Island
Soccer tops Long Island, 4-0, in NCAA first round
11.10.2006 | Soccer
STORRS, Conn. -- Sparked by a three-goal first half, the number one seeded Texas soccer team advanced to the second round of the 2006 NCAA Women's Soccer Championships. The Longhorns beat Northeast Conference Champion Long Island University, 4-0, on Friday, Nov. 10 at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium on the campus of the University of Connecticut in Storrs.
UT faces host Connecticut (11-8-3) on Sunday, Nov. 12 at noon (Central).The Huskies advanced after defeating Columbia 2-1 in Friday's first-round match-up.
"I thought that the first 10 minutes would be hairy," said Petrucelli. "LIU put pressure on us early. I think the first goal settled us down.
"I've always believed the first game is the hardest," continued Petrucelli. "It's the first game of the year play in the position where if you lose, you go home. The first game is the most important game."
Juniors Caitlin Kennedy (Euless, Texas) and Kelsey Carpenter (Allen, Texas), and sophomore defender Kasey Moore (Mission Viejo, Calif.) scored once in the opening period to give the fifth-ranked Texas a comfortable lead heading into halftime.
The Longhorns, led by eighth-year head coach Chris Petrucelli, advance to the second round for the second time in program history. UT improves to 18-3-2 and 3-5 in the NCAA Tournament. Texas remains undefeated in its last 12 matches, boasting a record of 10-0-2.
Texas has advanced to the second round, twice in the last three seasons, which includes a 3-0 win over North Texas in the opening match of the 2004 NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament. Last year, UT lost in first-round action to UTEP, 3-2 in overtime in Austin.
In the second half, senior Priscilla Fite (Irving, Texas) extended the lead to 4-0 with her third score of the season.
Senior Amy Burlingham (Costa Mesa, Calif.) recorded a career-high three assists, aiding two of the opening period scores and Fite's second half goal.
The four Longhorn goals are the most a UT team has scored in an NCAA Tournament match, dating back to its first appearance in the tourney in 2001. The most prior goals scored were three twice- in a 3-0 win over North Texas (NCAA first round, 2004) and in last year's first round 3-2 OT loss to UTEP.
The Longhorns' offense started just 18 minutes, 41 seconds into the match. Carpenter dribbled wide on the far side of the field and found Burlingham inside the box. She headed it to Kennedy, who was wide open in front of the net, for Kennedy's third goal of the season.
Carpenter came right back in the first half, scoring her career-high 15th goal of the year at 36:28. She found a cross from Burlingham and headed it inside the nets past LIU goalkeeper Stephanie Kansky.
The defense put together an offensive attack with sophomore defender Stephanie Logterman (Austin, Texas) finding Moore, 40 minutes into the match, and in front of the net for the third score of the first half.
Less than four minutes into the second half, Burlingham set up another score for the UT attack. She found senior Priscilla Fite (Irving, Texas) in the middle of the box. Fite took the shot from 15 yards out, putting it in behind an outstretched LIU goalkeeper.
"We just wanted to come out and set the tempo," said Burlingham, when asked about UT's thoughts in the first half. "Obviously getting a goal early opened up things and gave us a chance to get forward."
The four goals scored by the Texas offense gave the Longhorns' defense a comfortable lead. Goalkeepers sophomore Dianna Pfenninger (Sugar Land, Texas) and senior Dana Hall (Kingwood, Texas) combined for UT's tenth shutout of the season, extending the program record for most shutouts in one year. Pfenninger added one save while Hall came in at 52:09 to save one attempt by the Blackbirds.
Burlingham's three assists is a career-high and ties her career-best for most points in a game (three on three different occasions). She tallied her team-leading and personal best ninth assist of the year. She remains in third place on the all-time list with 23 in her four seasons on the Forty Acres and moves into a tie for sixth on the single season assists list with Kelly McDonald and Katie Baruth.
Texas advances to NCAA second-round play for the second time in its six NCAA appearances. Four times the Horns have lost in first-round competition (2001, 2002, 2003, 2005); in 2004, UT advanced to the NCAA round of 16 before the No. 20 Longhorns lost to No. 6 Portland, 2-0 in Austin.
"Our captains did a good job of keeping us focused and reminded us that it wasn't going to happen again like it did last year," said Carpenter. "It was in the back of all of our minds and as a team, we reminded each other that it wasn't going to happen again."
Long Island ends its season with an overall record of 13-7-1 and is now 0-2-0 in two NCAA Tournament appearances.
"LIU is a hard team to play against," said Petrucelli. "They are physical and athletic and I thought they were a good team."
NOTES: Kennedy scored her third goal of the year and first since the 2-0 shutout over Nebraska in Lincoln on Sunday, Oct. 15... The 4-0 blank marks the 10th of the season for the Longhorns. The all-time best was eight in 2001, 2002 and 2004.
