Michigan Sees Lead Slip Away in Second Half at Illinois

Friday, October 14

Champaign, Ill.

7:00 PM CT

Michigan

6-6-2, 2-4-0

Illinois

8-4-2, 4-2-0

Michigan

Illinois

Michigan Sees Lead Slip Away in Second Half at Illinois

10/14/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

Box Score PDF Boxscore

By: Matt Baumer

Site: Champaign, Ill. (Illinois Soccer Stadium)
Score: Illinois 3, Michigan 2
Records: U-M (6-6-2, 2-4 Big Ten), Illinois (8-4-2, 4-2 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Oct. 16 -- at Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa), 1 p.m. CDT

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The University of Michigan women's soccer team fell to Illinois 3-2 Friday night (Oct. 7) at Illinois Soccer Stadium. Danelle Underwood (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Northern) and Melissa Dobbyn (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson) each scored a goal in a 3:45 span in the first half to gain a one-goal advantage. However, the Wolverines could not overcome Illinois' two-goal push early in the second half and lost for the fourth time in five games.

Illinois struck first just 2:40 into the contest. Eva Strickland took a corner kick attempt from Kristy Weeks and headed it in the net to put Illinois up 1-0.

Michigan answered at 24:50 on an Underwood corner. Underwood's corner curved into the net unmolested to tie the game 1-1. Dobbyn gave Michigan a 2-1 lead at 28:35. Therese Heaton (Wheaton, Ill./Warrenville South) fed a pass to Dobbyn at the top of the 18-yard box, and Dobbyn fired a shot that sailed inside the right post to put the Wolverines up. Despite several golden opportunities, the Wolverines found themselves up by only one goal going into halftime.

Illinois wasted no time and tied the game less than four minutes into the second frame off a corner kick at 48:45. The corner kick attempt sailed into the box and Natasha Karniski headed it in past Megan Tuura (Tucker, Ga./St. Pius X Catholic) to tie the score 2-2. Illinois then took the lead less than a minute later on a failed clearing attempt by the Wolverines. Jessica Bayne settled the ball and chipped one inside the left post to give Illinois a 3-2 advantage at 49:36. The Wolverines could not tie the score the rest of the way and dropped their third straight road contest.

Michigan returns to the field Sunday (Oct. 16) in Iowa City, Iowa, to take on Iowa at the Iowa Soccer Complex at 1 p.m. CDT.

GAME SUMMARY

Team	1	2	F
Michigan	2	0	2
Illinois	1	2	3

Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- ILL, Eva Strickland, 2:14 (Kristy Weeks)
1st -- U-M, Danelle Underwood, 24:50 (unassisted)
1st -- U-M, Melissa Dobbyn, 28:35 (Therese Heaton)
2nd -- ILL, Natasha Karniski, 48:45 (Emily Zurrer, Christen Karniski)
2nd -- ILL, Jessica Bayne, 49:26 (unassisted)

Shots: U-M 18, ILL 24
Saves: U-M 5 (Megan Tuura), ILL 6 (Lindsey Carstens 5, Team 1)
Corner Kicks: U-M 5, ILL 7
Fouls: U-M 8, ILL 11
Cards: None

NOTES

• Therese Heaton's first-half assist moves her into sole possession of fifth place in all-time points in Michigan women's soccer history with 70. She is nine points shy of Jessica Limauro (79, 1995-98) for fourth place. Heaton's 16 career assists are also three assists shy of Debbie Flaherty (19, 1994-97) for fifth place in all-time assists.

• Heaton surpassed her assist total from 2004 (3) with her assist on Melissa Dobbyn's first-half goal.

• Judy Coffman's four shots in the game give her four or more shots in three straight games and in six out of seven games.

• Megan Tuura eclipsed the 50-save mark on the season with a five-save effort. She has five or more saves in each of her last three starts and has 52 saves this season.

• Emily Kalmbach saw her first action since injuring herself in the first game of the season.

• Melissa Dobbyn continued her streak of recording a shot in every game with a seven-shot performance. Her seven shots also push her past 150 career shots. She has 153 shots in her career.

• Dobbyn equaled her goal total from 2004 (9) with her first-half goal. Seven of her nine goals this season have come in games played on Friday. She recorded two goals at Oakland on Sunday, Sept. 25.

• Sarah Banco made the first start of her career. Prior to today's game, all 13 of her games played came as a reserve.

• Danelle Underwood's goal in the first half was her fourth of the season. She leads all freshman with nine points (4 g, 1 a).

QUOTES

Michigan Head Coach Debbie Rademacher
On not holding onto the lead ... "We were up 2-1 at halftime. They scored two early, quick goals in the second half. That was the difference. We didn't come out with the momentum that we finished the half with, unfortunately. Good teams are going to take advantage of that."

On sophomore forward Melissa Dobbyn ... "She's carrying us right now. She's putting points on the board. She's doing her job, and we ask her to do a lot. She is doing a lot for us. She is getting us on the board."

On recovering from an early Illinois goal ... "We showed again that we can come back when we get down a goal early in the first half. We answered with two goals and went into halftime ahead. Unfortunately, we just did not hold on."

On allowing goals early in each half ... "Certainly they are just mental letdowns and they are coming off of basic marking up defensively in the box."