The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Colorado
No. 12 Soccer ties Colorado, 0-0, advances to Big 12 Semifinals on penalty kicks
11.07.2007 | Soccer
SAN ANTONIO -- Texas junior goalkeeper Dianna Pfenninger swung the penalty-kick session in the Longhorns' favor with her hands and put the match away with her feet, as she scored the fifth and deciding penalty kick in No. 12 Texas' victory over the University of Colorado Wednesday evening in the Big 12 Women's Soccer Championship quarterfinals. The match, which went into double-overtime and remained a scoreless tie, was decided in UT's favor after penalty kicks, as UT held the 4-2 advantage in the PK session.
Texas advances to the Big 12 semifinals which take place Friday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the Blossom Athletic Complex against the winner of Wednesday evening's late quarterfinal match featuring third-seeded Kansas and sixth-seeded Oklahoma State.
Meeting for the fourth time in two seasons, and for the second time in six days, second-seeded Texas, now 13-3-4 and seventh-seeded Colorado (9-7-4) were knotted in a 0-0 tie after 90 minutes of regulation and two 15-minute overtimes, leaving the match's outcome to be decided on penalty kicks. (For NCAA record purposes, the game is recorded as a tie.)
Colorado goalkeeper Kara Linder saved the first penalty kick off of the foot of Texas junior Kasey Moore, and the Buffaloes' Alex Cousins drilled the ensuing kick to put Colorado on top, 1-0. UT sophomore Courtney Gaines netted the next kick, and Pfenninger (Sugar Land, Texas) saved the next kick from CU's Nikki Keller to keep the penalty-kick session even at one apiece.
Texas freshman Niki Arlitt and Colorado's Michelle Wenino scored the ensuing two kicks before Longhorn junior defender Jill Gilbeau put UT up 3-2.
That set the stage for for CU's Michaela DeJesus who lined up for the Buffaloes' pivotal fourth kick. Pfenninger dove to her right and knocked DeJesus' shot away to give UT the chance to clinch the PK session with one more netted kick.
At that point, head coach Chris Petrucelli called on Pfenninger herself, calling her out of the goal to line up for UT's final kick. The All-Big 12 goalkeeper found the top of the net with her shot, after it deflected off of Linder's hands, as the Longhorns punched their ticket to the Big 12 semifinals.
"I did the best I could," the opportunistic Pfenninger said of her game-winning penalty kick. "The pressure was on her (CU's Linder) to stop the kick. Usually, the pressure is on the kicker, but with us leading, the pressure was on the keeper.
"We came out and battled, and our defense played really well," Pfenninger added. "I had a busy night, but the defense had my back. We just have a great, cohesive team, and a great group of players."
Texas registered numerous scoring opportunities in the second half but was unable to capitalize.
In the nets for CU all game long, Linder saved a Moore header in the 67th minute, and a shot by UT senior Kelsey Carpenter sailed just wide of the left post in the 68th minute. Carpenter created another opportunity in the 73rd minute, but sailed a low line drive wide left once again.
Texas kept up the pressure, with Moore sending a header wide right with 12 minutes to play in regulation. That was followed by an Arlitt shot with six minutes left that was deflected and rolled just right of the goal. Moore's then sent another header above the goal, and a Caitlin Kennedy free kick with just a few minutes to play from the left corner navigated through two Buffalo defenders but sailed wide right.
"Colorado gave us everything we could handle," UT coach Chris Petrucelli said. "We had our chances, but we got a great performance from our defense tonight. Dianna (Pfenninger) had a lot of saves and, particularly, a couple of key saves late in the match. She had two saves in the penalty kicks and then she scored the game-winner. It was a goalkeeper's dream."
