Women Booters Fall, 2-0, As Minutewomen Fly High

The University of Massachusetts women's soccer team sloshed and splashed its way to a 2-0 win yesterday afternoon at muddy, puddly and very cold Soldiers Field.

Let's count the reasons why.

First and foremost, UMass dominated all of the first half and a large portion of the second. The Minutewomen controlled the ball with crisp passes--from player to player, unlike the Crimson booters, who continually passed to areas rather than to teammates. And the UMass midfielders, especially Natalie Prosser, commanded their zone from start to finish.

Second, UMass senior goalkeeper Kelly Tuller, a left winger until two years ago, continually grabbed onto the ball and held on, while Crimson freshman goalie Ann Diamond helplessly watched the wet, cold ball bounce in and out of her arms all game long.

Third, Madeline Mangini, a UMass forward, certainly must have written the book on how to help your team score with good corner kicks, knocking in the first UMass goal directly on a corner and assisting on the second on another corner.

Fourth and finally, UMass--like every team which has played the Crimson this season--was really pumped up for the game, while Harvard, rather surprisingly after Saturday's disappointing 4-1 loss at Princeton, didn't seem emotionally high.

The Minutewomen beat the Crimson to loose balls, they worked hard on defense--they obviously wanted this one badly. The Crimson as a whole just didn't seem to have similar hell-bent enthusiasm.

With a record that stands at 8-3, but includes losses in three of their last five games, the formerly top-ranked Crimson booters will now have to scramble to make good in the post-season tournaments.

In the Ivies, probably both Princeton and Brown will gain higher seedings, and the Crimson has now lost virtually any chance for a home field advantage in the Easterns--if it is invited.

In yesterday's games the Minutewomen lit up the scoreboard first and rode the momentum of that first goal to victory.

At 23:16 of the first half, Mangini lofted a corner high in front of the near goal post, which Diamond immediately called for. But with three other players leaping around her, the ball went over her head, through her hands and into the net. Lesson number one is corner-kicking.

The contest went scoreless for the next 30 minutes, but at 9:56 of half number two, Mangini set the ball up for another corner. She again chipped the ball high, and right onto the head of teammate Nancy Feldman, who punched it over the goal line. Class dismissed.

And to make matters worse, two key Crimson players suffered injuries. Right wing Kelly Gately twisted her left knee late in the first half, and had to leave the game, but she returned to action in the second half with the knee wrapped, and will not miss any game action.

Laura Mayer, playing back striker for the first time in her career, received a still undiagnosed back injury in the second half, and she's not even sure how it happened.

"It's still quite painful," she said from UHS where she spent last night, "but I plan to be ready for the (Ivy League tournament this) weekend."

The game ended with Tuller and her fullbacks dancing arm and arm in the goal area and the Crimson booters trudging off the field with their heads down and their spirits low.