The Billiken women’s soccer team closed out their season this
past Saturday with a 2-1 loss to the University of Alabama at
Birmingham.
The game pitted the number-one seed Billikens against UAB, who
defeated Marquette in their semifinal.
The women, however, had hoped that they would receive good news
on Monday that would allow their season to continue, but it was to
no avail.
After UAB squeaked by the Billikens in the final of the 2004
Marriott Conference USA women’s soccer tournament, the Blazers
received an automatic bid into the NCAA championship
tournament.
The Bills hoped to hear on Monday that they would be the
recipients of an at-large bid to the tournament, but the selection
committee overlooked a record-setting Billiken women’s soccer team,
thus ending a spectacular overall season for the Bills.
The game against the Blazers was hard fought from the first
whistle, with both teams yearning for the automatic bid into the
field for a championship.
The Billikens had a good chance to get on the board first just
inside the seventh minute.
Courtney Hulcer served up a perfectly parabolic corner kick,
which Kelly Ferguson put on the goal from eight yards out.
Unfortunately for the Billikens, the shot was knocked clear by a
UAB defender.
The Blazers took their first lead of the game in the 18th minute
on a bit of bad luck for the Billikens.
UAB midfielder Jenny Rynders put a hard shot on goal, which
knocked off the post.
Unfortunately, that carom ricocheted off of SLU defender Kim
Sinclair’s leg and went into the goal. That goal put the Blazers up
1-0, a lead the Billikens would tie up in the 47th minute.
Hulcer was there again for the Billikens on the scoring chance
to tie the game.
She laid up another great serve to sophomore Dee Guempel.
Guempel drove the ball into the back of the net from 12 yards
out, restoring hope to the Billiken faithful.
However, their elation would be subdued 11 minutes later on, a
goal by Rynders.
The upset was devastating for the Billikens, who were the
number-one seed in the Conference USA tournament.
The Billikens were looking up after they beat Louisville 1-0 on
Thursday to advance to the final against UAB. Freshman standout
Cassi Winchell put up the only goal for the Billikens in the 36th
minute. Winchell collected the rebound of a saved Maureen Hughes
shot.
She put the rebound in the left corner from six yards out for
the only point of the match.
The victory over the Cardinals gave the Billikens a school
record 15 victories on the season.
The Billikens felt that being Conference USA regular season
champions, setting a school record with 15 wins, and their solid
play in the Conference USA tournament might be enough to open the
eyes of the selection committee.
The team was disappointed as they watched the selection show on
Monday, and never heard their name called.
“I really felt slighted, I absolutely know that we deserve to be
playing this weekend in the NCAA’s,” said junior goalkeeper Amanda
Martin.
Martin felt, however, that the entire season was still a
positive for the Billikens.
“We were so proud to set the school record for wins, and win the
regular season conference title, while only giving up two goals,”
she said.
Sophomore Tara Gresco echoed Martin’s sentiments.
“I was disappointed when we found out that we did not make the
tournament, but I was still proud of the team for its
accomplishments,” she said.
Clearly, this was a season to build on for the Billikens as they
move out of Conference USA and head to the Atlantic 10.
The Billikens will return with most of their starters, but do
lose a few key pieces.
undoubtedly be felt next year by the Billikens. With defenses so
focused on Perry this year, the offensive opportunities were
created for players like Winchell, Guempel and Hughes.
The players are quick to credit Perry for all she provided the
program, but realize that the show must go on.
“I have never seen anyone work as hard as Jamie. The other
seniors are the same way…They laid the foundation for us to
really raise our game to the next level,” said Martin.
Gresco added, “I think we will still be a strong team next year,
even though we lose seniors in three starting spots. It will make
players work hard for those spots, to get into the NCAA tournament,
since we did not this year.”
The Billikens ended their season on a sour note, but they have a
lot to which they can look forward.
On top of returning a truckload of talent, both starters and key
reserves, the Billikens will switch to a league that does not know
the extent of their talent.
Said Martin about the Atlantic 10, “They better be ready for
this team, because we will make noise up east.”
For the Billikens, this is their second consecutive loss in the
C-USA finals. Last season, they fell to DePaul in a shootout.
They came back to defeat the Blue Demons in the first round of
this year’s tournament.
Though they man feel slighted by the selection, the Billiken
women’s soccer team still has a right to be proud of their
accomplishments on the pitch.
