University of North Florida
Alabama State University
Ospreys dominate in victory
9/2/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
FORT MYER, Fla.- The University of North Florida women's soccer team concluded the Embassy Suites Kick-Off Classic in grand style with its first win of the season on Sunday. The Lady Ospreys defeated an under staffed Alabama State squad by the final score of 13-0. The score is one goal shy of setting a new UNF single game scoring record.
UNF utilized its bench bringing in 18 of its 19 players in attendance, with nine different players scoring their first goals of the season, including goalkeeper Rachael Howard. Besides scoring her first career goal, Howard went unchallenged in goal. Erica Lippitt made her Lady Osprey debut in goal and like Howard, went unchallenged.
"It was good for us to be able to give everyone a chance to play," Hamilton said. "We had several players step up and show that they deserve to be on this team."
Scoring got started in the second minute of play when Katelin Swift collected the ball from Jessica Jowers and dribbled the ball passed the Alabama State goalkeeper. UNF kept the pressure on scoring again just a minute later with Lisa Taylor scoring her first goal of the season. Taylor fired a rocket shot into the upper corner of the net after gathering the ball in the 18-yard box from Elizabeth Gowan.
Swift notched her second goal of the game in the fourth minute of play after breaking through the Alabama State defense. The play began with Kady Dearing receiving a pass from Lauren Maze and finding an open Swift inside the penalty area.
Freshman Angela Passafaro scored her first of three first half goals in the 17th minute, putting UNF up 4-0. Passafaro hooked up with fellow freshman Lindi DiMaio on the goal with DiMaio perfecting slotting the ball into the open space, where Passafaro one timed it into the net. Passafaro's last two goals came in the final five minutes of the first half. Junior Elena Luzins scored her first two goals of the season and of her career in the winding moments of the first half.
"I am happy with the teams effort," head coach Linda Hamilton said. "We were able to use this game to work on the little mistakes we made in our first game."
The second half began the same way the first half began with a flurry of goals. Freshman Tiffany Wiggen scored her second goal of the season in the 45th minute off a Lauren Maze cross. Five minutes later the Lady Ospreys netted two more goals, with one of them coming from Howard. Howard re-entered the game as a field player, finding the back of the net just two minutes after coming onto the field.
In the final minutes of the game, Maze found the back of the net after intercepting an Alabama State cross in midfield. Freshman Carly DeWitt was the final Lady Osprey to score after Sheri Riley mounted a UNF counter attack in the 66th minute. The game was called in the 70th minute due to Alabama State's limited roster.
North Florida returns to action Sept. 7th when they participate in the Miner Classic in El Paso, Texas.
