Women's Soccer - SMU vs. Oklahoma

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

SMU puts one in the net from a corner but the linesman calls offside - would have to see that one again!

I thought you couldn't be offside on a corner kick, because the ball is being played from the offensive goal line, so by the time it's kicked, it's impossible to be in an offside position.

Am I wrong about that? Can one of you soccer experts shed a little insight?

You can't. The ball was played by Smith to Redman about 15 yards out. Redman directed it towards the net and they called the SMU player (I think it was Lewis) offside after the redirection by Redman. I probably should have been more clear on that one...

[giacfsp]

Just because Clarke is 5'3" doesn't means other teams have free license to just throw her down. This is getting old.

Erwin needs to recruit a bodyguard or two. I'm not saying a hockey goon, but someone with some size and strength, and more importantly, with a mean streak. Stephen F. Austin tried a lot of rough stuff, too (although I think that was partly because they were out of shape and couldn't stop), and until someone puts a stop to it, other teams will, too.

Any of you old-school SMU soccer fans might remember Cody Schroeder, the standout defender who also kicked for the football team for a year. He was big (by soccer standards), but not enormous ... but if you took any liberties with some of the other SMU players, he had a way of making sure you didn't do it too often. He wasn't a goon, by any means, but if it got rough, he was a hell of a policeman. When players started jawing at each other and shoving (or even punching), you could bet he was in the middle somewhere. He was more than willing to plant someone, to make a point to the other team, and it was very effective.

Excellent point.

I just love the way she plays. She keeps getting hammered and gets right back up and gets right back in the thick of things. However, only four games into her career she definitely needs to learn pick her battles or she is going to end up missing time here and there.

OU was definitely going after her specifically tonight - no doubt. I'm sure there is enough tape on her now that everybody is going to start doing it as well. SMU needs to be prepared to do whatever is necessary to keep other teams from taking liberties on Clarke because her dynamic play is crucial to this team.

OK, you obviously know this team better than I do. If teams are going to start hammering Clarke around, who has not only the size but also the disposition to make sure teams don't take too many liberties with our players?

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

OK, you obviously know this team better than I do. If teams are going to start hammering Clarke around, who has not only the size but also the disposition to make sure teams don't take too many liberties with our players?

I can't imagine anybody specifically being that type of player. I obviously don't know any of them but none of them seem to have a real mean streak.

I wonder if the girl Smith went after was the one who got Clarke when Clarke had to leave the game. It would be really cool if it was!

Eidson has certainly shown a desire to step up and make a physical challenge when necessary in the past. As a captain, maybe it's Eidson?

[DallasDiehard]

Yeah, Eidson can do it, and do it well.

Just ask UTEP.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Yeah, Eidson can do it, and do it well.

Just ask UTEP.

[PonyPride]

Yeah, Eidson can do it, and do it well.

Just ask UTEP.

Oh yeah — forgot about that.

Ouch.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Their take...

I like how their coach blames a lack of experience, when we are starting two freshmen, one redshirt freshman, and three sophomores (one who only played in seven games her freshman season) - and playing two other freshmen and another sophomore a reasonable amount of minutes.

http://www.soonersports.com/sports/w-soccer/recaps/082811aaa.html

NORMAN, Okla. - The Sooner soccer team was unable to snap a two-game losing skid on Sunday night as visiting SMU sneaked away with a 1-0 victory in front of 994 fans at John Crain Field.
The Sooners dropped to 1-3 after the contest, marking the first three-game losing streak since the end of the 2009 season.

The Mustangs (3-1) received the game-winning goal from Courtney Smith off a free kick from 22 yards out in the 73rd minute. The shot came after OU’s Kathryn Watson was whistled for a foul committed on a Mustang attacker just outside the Sooner box. SMU set up the opportunity after winning a Sooner goal kick and immediately countering down the field.

Unlike in the final seconds of the first half, OU goalkeeper’s diving save attempt was not enough to keep SMU off the board.

“We have a lot of players on the field that have not played (a lot of minutes) on this level,” said OU Head Coach Nicole Nelson. “We are learning some hard lessons, but getting good experience. We will keep working on it.”

Despite not facing each other since 2004, the one-goal games are nothing new to the OU-SMU series. SMU leads the series 4-2-1 and each of those seven games have been decided by one goal or less.

OU created its share of goal-scoring opportunities on Sunday night despite trailing the over shot count 9-8. The Sooners and Mustangs each had two shots on goal, but SMU held a 9-3 advantage in corner kicks.

Eight different Sooners fired shots in the game, including Zoe Dickson and Abby Hodgen, who were credited for OU’s two shots on goal. Dickson had OU’s best chance with 18 minutes remaining in the first half, but her shot off a breakway was saved by SMU goalkeeper Courtney Webb.

[PonyPride]

SMU's take on it (from SMUMustangs.com):

Mustangs Derail Sooners
Courtney Smith nets game-winner in 73rd minute

Aug. 28, 2011

NORMAN, Okla. (SMU) – It took some time, but the SMU women’s soccer team (3-1-0) grinded out a hard-fought 1-0 victory tonight over Oklahoma (1-3-0) at John Crain Field at the OU Soccer Complex.

“I feel like it was a pretty even game, but to come on the road and win a match against a good Big XII team is a good thing for us,” said SMU head coach Brent Erwin.

SMU came out the gates looking to put in the first goal early, having three opportunities before 10 minutes had passed. As the half wore on, both teams settled in and the game was a back and forth affair, mostly played in the middle.

Rikki Clarke nearly sent the Mustangs into the half with the lead, as she was on the receiving end of a corner kick on the back door with under a minute left. The shot was on frame, but was denied by a diving save from OU’s Kelsey Devonshire.

Coming out the break, SMU were the aggressors from the whistle. In the 52nd minute, Shelby Redman got inside the box and ripped a shot that deflected toward the goal. Unluckily, the deflection went to an SMU attacker in an offside position and the goal was disallowed. Two minutes later, Redman took another attempt that drifted just wide of the left top corner.

The Mustangs got the goal they were inching toward when in 73rd minute Briana Gaines got in between two Sooner defenders and was taken down just outside the top of the box. Courtney Smith stepped up and hit a laser shot under the crossbar that gave the OU keeper no chance to stop it.

The Mustangs buckled down defensively from then on, closing out the final 17 minutes.

“You come up to OU and get a 1-0 result, actually score a second goal that got called back, but to have the resiliency to come back and get another goal and then just kill the game off at the end, our young women were wonderful tonight,” Erwin said.

SMU heads to area rival North Texas on Friday, September 2. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. The Mustangs knocked off the Mean Green 3-2 in overtime in Denton, Texas, last season.

Season tickets are $24. Individual game tickets are $6 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under. Blocks of 50 or more tickets are $1 apiece. Tickets can be purchased online at SMUMustangs.com or by calling 214-SMU-GAME (214-768-4263).

[MiracleOnMockingbird]

SMU's take on it (from SMUMustangs.com):
NORMAN, Okla. (SMU) – It took some time, but the SMU women’s soccer team (3-1-0) grinded out a hard-fought 1-0 victory tonight over Oklahoma (1-3-0) at John Crain Field at the OU Soccer Complex.

GRINDED out? Let's work on our verb tenses, smumustangs.com.

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Highlights now available on the OU website.

Very impressive to watch Courtney Webb's exquisite positioning on that first sequence - remember that was only a minute into the game.

The highlights also include the blast from Rikki Clarke near the end of the first half where the OU keeper made a great save, and, of course, the fantastic game-winning goal from Courtney Smith.

http://www.soonersports.com/allaccess/?media=260982

One other note - it looks like it was Amanda Burgardt who got to the goal kick from the OU keeper that propelled Briana Gaines into the position to draw the foul which led to the goal - so some credit definitely needs to go to those two players for "creating" the goal.

[ponytony]

In looking at it again, that was a really good ball by Burgardt. The way OU's # 14 rolled up the back of Briana's legs, we're lucky she wasn't hurt. That was a really dirty play.