It was a remarkable year for the Lindenwood athletic program in 2009-10. Over the next 10 weeks, www.lindenwoodlions.com will bring you the top 10 moments of the last school year.
The No. 9 moment comes from the Lady Lion soccer program and its early season win against the No. 8 ranked Trinity Christian Trolls.
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When the 2009 women’s soccer season was set to begin there was a lot of excitement around the program as the team was coming off a 2008 season where it compiled a record of 12-4-3 and was returning the majority of its top players.
The season started off with the Lady Lions ranked No. 16 in the NAIA national poll. Lindenwood would win its first game of the season against NCAA Division II, Maryville University, 4-1 in dominating fashion. Next up was two games in Georgia against Savannah College of Art and Design (Ga.) and Brenau University (Ga.). The team would beat SCAD 1-0 but fell to Brenau, 1-0.
After the 1-1 trip through Georgia, the Lady Lions returned home to face their toughest test of the early season. The No. 8 ranked Trinity Christian Trolls came to Harlen C. Hunter Stadium for an early season game which would pit two nationally ranked teams.
Just a year before the Trolls played in the semifinals of the national tournament where they lost to eventual national champion, Lee University.
“As a group, we were very excited to play another game against a team that was ranked higher than us,” said head coach Laurie Kaminski. “We thought of it as a chance to go out and prove that we are a good team and a team that deserves to receive some national recognition.”
McKenzie Creamer would set up the game's first goal.
With the temperature in the 90s, the Lady Lions and the Trolls started the game at a very fast and physical pace. The two teams got a pair of early scoring chances in which both goalies were up to the task. The pace of play played right into the Lady Lions’ hands.
“It was a physical game and pretty fast paced given the conditions,” Kaminski said. “The pace, conditions and our home field were big advantages for us.”
The first half would come to a close with neither team scoring a goal. The Lady Lions owed a lot of credit to their goalie,
Jessica Morelli, who had stopped four Trinity shots in the first half to keep the game scoreless.
Even though the Lady Lions were unable to dent the scoreboard in the first half, the team was not at all worried.
“I think a team always wants to score first and take the lead in the first half," said Kaminski. "But I wouldn’t say that it was a terrible thing that it remained scoreless. The coaching staff made some adjustments at halftime on a way to attack their defense. We created some chances in the first half and started to wear them down, but just needed to find a way to execute.”
Execute is exactly what the Lady Lions did. In the 67th minute
Lindsay Shea would finally get the home team on the scoreboard when she would net her fifth goal of the season after a perfect pass from teammate
Mckenzie Creamer.
Lindsay Shea scores the first goal of the game.
“The goal was pretty sweet," said Shea. "Mckenzie Creamer had the ball on the left hand side and chipped it over me and two other opponents. I let the ball drop in front of me and I one touched it in with my laces, and it went right past the keeper. That goal just shows how important a quick pass is for any level of soccer, especially college level when playing teams that are higher ranked. It requires us as a team to play quickly and more efficiently.”
It was the third time in four games that the Lady Lions scored the first goal of the game. Previously, When the Lady Lions had scored the first goal of the game the team was 2-0. So needless to say, it was important for the Lady Lions to score the first goal.
“Anytime you can score the first goal of the game it is a huge advantage as a team. It gives you that mental and physical edge,” Kaminski said of her team’s first goal of the game. “After a goal is scored, you really must buckle down and not let up in the least. Scoring first gave us some momentum and confidence to keep attacking.”
Jessica Morelli would make a total of seven saves on the day.
With the 1-0 lead the Lady Lions did not sit back, the team kept pressuring the Trolls’ defense. The second half would see the team record a total of seven shots on goal and numerous scoring chances but Trinity was up to the task and kept the score, 1-0.
After the Trinity defense kept the game close, its offense finally broke through. With only about four minutes to play in regulation, Errika Comerouski would finally put the Trolls on the board and tie the game.
Neither team could break the tie in the final four minutes and the game would go into overtime. The overtime was the first of the season for the Lady Lions and even though it had given up a late goal the team was very focused heading into the extra frame.
“I think more than anything, giving up that late goal woke us up,” Kaminski said. “When they scored that goal to send the game to overtime it was one of those smack you in the face moments where we needed to respond and do something about it.”
Not only did the Lady Lions respond it only took them 37 seconds to do so. As overtime began the Lady Lions would continue to pressure the Trolls’ defense and
Ashley Tankersley would send a perfect cross into the penalty area where
Kendall Kravec was and the junior finished the perfect pass to give the Lady Lions a big win.
“The 37 seconds is probably the fastest goal we have ever scored in a game so it
The Lady Lions would win the game and improve its record to 3-1.
was a bit of a shock,” Kaminski said. “Besides scoring so fast it was a great buildup and goal. It was probably one of the best goals we scored all year because of the passes and combinations to get it in the back of the net.”
After the ball landed in the back of the net the Lady Lions would celebrate a big upset win and it would improve its record to 3-1.
“The win meant mostly that we worked hard for what we wanted,” Shea said. “We all wanted to win, but it also meant that we could work together as a team.”
The win over Trinity was one of the biggest of the season for the Lady Lions as the team would end the 2009 campaign with a 9-9-1 record.
No. 10 Moment of the Year:
Women's Tennis Wins HAAC Championship