Late Penalty Kick Ends Huskers' Season

Champaign, Ill. ? A penalty kick with just 4:44 remaining in the game lifted Illinois over the Nebraska soccer team, 2-1, in the third round of the 2004 NCAA Tournament on Saturday.<?xml:namespace prefix="o" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"?>

 

The Illini had the ball in the box and as <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Nebraska was about to clear it, a foul was called after both a Husker and an Illini player went down in the box. Illinois’ Sarah Brown beat NU sophomore goalkeeper Katie Wright low and to her left on the ensuing penalty kick, as the Fighting Illini advanced to the Elite Eight,  Illinois will face Santa Clara, who upset defending national champion North Carolina, the tournament's top seed.

 

Nebraska finishes its season with a 14-9 record and the program’s eighth trip to the Sweet 16 in the last nine seasons.

 

Both teams had excellent scoring chances in the first 15 minutes of the game. In the seventh minute, Illinois appeared to take a 1-0 lead when the Illini found the back of the net off a free kick. The sideline official, however ruled offside and the goal was disallowed.

 

Nebraska had an excellent chance of its own in the 14th minute when senior Lindsey Ingram found herself uncovered in the box. She attempted to loft a shot over Illinois goalkeeper Leisha Alicia, but Ingram’s kick bounded off the far crossbar.

 

The Illini broke through for the game’s first goal at 24:54. Following an Illinois corner kick, an Illini player sent a ball toward net that was flicked deep into the box to Paula Faherty. With her back to the goal, Flaherty flipped a ball over her head and over Wright for the game’s first goal.

 

Nebraska answered back 8:09 later when Wright sent a long free kick into the box, where Husker senior Brooke Bredenberg beat Alicia to the ball and headed it past her for Bredenberg's second goal of the postseason and sixth of the year.

 

In the second half, both teams had several good scoring opportunities. It looked as though Nebraska would take a 2-1 lead in the 67th minute when both Bredenberg and junior Nikki Baker sent hard shots on goal from inside the box that Alicia was able to deflect, but not control.

 

For the game, Wright finished with seven saves in goal for NU, while Alcia recorded four saves for the Fighting Illini.