Heaton's Two-Goal Effort Paces U-M Over No. 13 Florida

Friday, August 30

Ann Arbor, Mich.

4:00 PM

Michigan

1-0-0

Florida

0-1-0

Florida

Michigan

Heaton's Two-Goal Effort Paces U-M Over No. 13 Florida

8/30/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

By: Andrew Ladd

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (U-M Soccer Field)
Score: #18 Michigan 2, #13 Florida 1
Records: U-M (1-0), Florida (0-1)
Next U-M Event: Monday, Sept. 2 -- vs. Brigham Young (U-M Soccer Field), 1 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Scoring the first of two goals just 36 seconds into her first match as a Wolverine, freshman forward Therese Heaton (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton Warrenville South HS) helped the No. 18-ranked University of Michigan women's soccer team defeat No. 13 Florida this afternoon (Friday, Aug. 30) at U-M Soccer Field. The Wolverines won the game 2-0, as Heaton added a second goal less than five minutes after her first tally and Michigan's defense held the Gators to only three shots on goal.

Heaton's goal to begin the game was the fastest first career goal in school history. Heaton took a pass from Abby Crumpton (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams HS) after the Wolverines had advanced the ball into Gator territory on the game's opening kickoff. A misplay from a Florida defender allowed Heaton to loft the ball over Florida's charging goalkeeper, Jordan Kellegren, and off the right post of the goal before bouncing into the net.

At 5:04 Heaton struck again, getting in behind the Florida defense and finishing off the back end of a Crumpton pass with a well-placed rolling ball to the left of Kellegren for the 2-0 lead. Florida's keeper tried to stretch out to stop the shot but could not get a foot on the ball as it bounced into the left corner of the goal.

Michigan's defense made the two-goal lead stand up against Florida's high-powered offense, holding the Gators to nine shots. Florida's best opportunity came at 37:02 when Stephanie Freeman beat the Michigan defense with a dangerous pass to teammate Crystal Frimpong inside the Wolverine 18-yard box. Frimpong then beat Michigan goalie Suzie Grech (Narberth, Pa./The Shipley School) by the right goalpost with a quick dribble around the keeper's diving frame before knocking the ball towards the empty net. The Wolverines' shutout remained intact, however, as freshman defender Colleen McAndrews (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles East HS) was able to knock the ball off the goal line after crossing the field from her position at left back.

The speedy Gators were limited to only three shots on goal by a stingy Michigan defense despite numerous opportunities in back-and-forth action during the second half. The Maize and Blue defenders, led by senior tri-captain Carly Williamson (Barrington, R.I./Barrington HS), continually found ways to clear the ball to safety before Florida could take an attempt at goal.

Michigan remains at home for its second game of the season on Monday (Sept. 2) against Brigham Young. The game is set to begin at 1 p.m. on U-M Soccer Field.

GAME SUMMARY

Team	1	2	F
Florida	0	0	0
Michigan	2	0	2

Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- U-M, Therese Heaton, 0:36 (Abby Crumpton)
1st -- U-M, Heaton, 5:04 (Crumpton, Michele Pesiri)

Shots: U-M 11, Florida 9
Saves: U-M 3 (Suzie Grech), Florida 4 (Jordan Kellegren)
Corner Kicks: U-M 3, Florida 3
Fouls: U-M 18, Florida 16
Cards: U-M, Erika Kleinholz, 24:36 (yellow); Florida, Danielle Murphy, 24:36 (yellow)

QUOTES

Michigan Head Coach Debbie Rademacher
On freshman Therese Heaton's big day ... "Not to say that we expected it, but her play didn't surprise us. She just came out ready to go. She's the kind of player who always plays hard and aggressively. On her first goal, Florida made a mistake and she was able to capitalize on it. Those are the things she can do, and I expect to see her accomplish a lot here."

On holding the lead in the second half ... "We just wanted to concentrate on winning balls, staying aggressive and maintaining our composure."

On the importance of experience in keeping the lead ... "You always need to get goals and get a strong start. We've had some big games for openers the past few seasons and hadn't fared so well. I think what we saw today was the experience of some of our fourth-year players going against some of the top competition for another year. This is a team that has a lot of experience, and down the stretch our veterans led the way."

U-M Freshman Forward Therese Heaton
On her first Michigan game and goal ... "I was a little nervous, but playing the exhibition game helped a bit, just to get that first experience under your belt and not worry as much. I just wanted to work hard. I was pretty pumped up though and I just had to stay focused on putting the ball in the back of the net. [The first goal] wasn't pretty, but you have to do what you have to do and I was able to take advantage of the opportunity."

On the game ... "We played really well today. Our team was just so solid from front to back all afternoon. Everyone played well and we needed that to win the game. It's a great feeling to see that [on the field]. This program is an amazing one to be a part of."

NOTES

• Therese Heaton's goal at 0:36 of the first half is Michigan's fastest goal to start a season in the nine-year history of the program, beating the Wolverines' previous best of 22:43 set Aug. 29, 1999, by Emily Schmitt (1996-99) against Oakland University.

• Michigan senior Abby Crumpton continued her career-long tear through the month of August with two assists against the Gators. Crumpton now has six goals and three assists for 15 points in just six August games, including exhibitions.