University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Blank Florida State on Graczyk Goals;
12/5/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Connecticut 2, Florida State 0
Connecticut 0 2 -- 2
Florida State 0 0 -- 0
SCORING: Second Period; UC- Kristen Graczyk (Jessica Gjertsen), 62:07. Graczyk (Gjertsen, Fisher), 81:51.
SHOTS: UC- 14, FSU- 19
SAVES: UC- 4, FSU- 3
FOULS: UC- 15, FSU- 14
RECORDS: UC- 15-5-3, FSU- 17-8-1
CARY, NC (December 5) – BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year Kristen Graczyk (Albuquerque, NM) scored twice, giving her twenty goals on the year, to propel the University of Connecticut women’s soccer team past Florida State and into the National Championship game of the 2003 Division I Women’s Soccer College Cup. With the victory, UConn wins its fifth consecutive game, all in NCAA Tournament play, running its record to 15-5-3, while the Lady Seminoles end their season with 17-8-1 mark.
UConn advances to the Finals of the College Cup for the fourth time, its first appearance since 1997.
The game-winner came with 27:57 to go in the second half. Jessica Gjertsen (Stony Plain, Alberta) found space on the far sideline and struck a cross through the penalty area, finding Graczyk’s head. Graczyk headed the ball into the upper right-hand corner past a diving Joy McKenzie giving UConn a lead it would not relinquish.
Florida State stormed out of the gate and had a few very good opportunities in the game’s infant stages. Leah Gallegos found herself open down the far side and dribbled towards the UConn net, drawing senior keeper Erin Rice (Keller, TX) out of the net. Gallegos crossed the ball to Carrie Bybee’s head, but Bybee’s header sailed wide to the right with 32-minutes left in the first half.
UConn countered with a few solid opportunities of its own, the first coming about four minutes later. Co-BIG EAST Rookie of the Year Meghan Schnur (Butler, PA) controlled ball in the midfield and dished it to Nikki Cross (Pembroke, MA) who was cutting down the near side. Cross found a seam and struck a hard cross through the penalty area to Graczyk who got her head on the ball, but it ricocheted wide of the near post.
UConn’s best chance of the first stanza came in the 23rd minute. Kristi Lefebvre (Colchester, VT) possessed the ball in the midfield and served the ball ahead to Graczyk. Graczyk dished the ball to Cross who had gotten ahead of the Seminole backline. FSU keeper Joy McKenzie came out to collect the ball, but Cross redirected the ball away from McKenzie. The ball rolled slowly towards the net with Cross and FSU defender Katie Beal in hot pursuit. Cross dove and got a foot on it, but Beal nudged both Cross and the ball just enough for it to hit rudely off the post, preserving the scoreless tie.
UConn was almost caught off guard on FSU’s ensuing counter-attack. Gallegos was streaking down the near side. Gallegos took a diagonal route towards the net and Rice cut off the angle perfectly. Gallegos fired a bullet, which looked ticketed for the back of the net, but Rice made a huge save to keep the game scoreless.
Jessica Gjertsen had a pair of early opportunities to get UConn on the board early in the second half, but was stone-walled each time by McKenzie.
The Lady Noles had a premium chance to get on the board with 29-minutes remaining in regulation. FSU had been scoring off their corner kicks all year long, and almost added another goal on its first corner of the game. After Beal took the kick, the ball was headed straight up in the air allowing for a scuffle in front of the net. Rice believed she had a beat on it, but the ball was deflected to the six where Bybee had a look at a net with no keeper. Bybee managed to get an off balanced shot on net that looked destined to put FSU up 1-0. However, UConn back-liner Karlyn Miselis (Glastonbury, CT) was standing on the goal line, and cleared the ball out of danger’s way allowing for the counter attack that UConn capitalized on for the game-winner.
UConn ensured victory with its second goal of the afternoon off the foot of Graczyk. Gjertsen again found an opening up down the far sideline and struck a roller towards Graczyk. Graczyk let the ball go by and it rolled towards senior Kristin Fisher (Rochester Hills, MI). Fisher reversed the ball back to Graczyk, who was planted in the center of the box, and she hit a bullet inside the near post at 81:51.
Rice was sensational in net for UConn, making four big saves. McKenzie made three saves for FSU.
The Huskies will play for the National Championship against the winner of this afternoon’s North Carolina vs. UCLA match up. Game time for the National Final is set for 2:00 p.m. at SAS Soccer Park in Cary, NC, and will be televised live by ESPN2.
POST GAME QUOTES
Len Tsantiris, Connecticut Head Coach
Opening Statement:
"It was a good, well-balanced game played by two very good teams. The key was which team would put the ball in the net first and that is exactly how the outcome turned out. They had some great chances, but I think we had a few more that we were able to take advantage of. All our players played well especially Erin Rice in goal, she did a super job today."
On defending and controlling FSU's Leah Gallegos:
"Freshman Courtney Sands did a very good job defending Gallegos this afternoon. Sands is so quick that she hardly gets beat and if she does get beat, she can recover very quickly. Gallegos is a very tricky player. She got passed our defense on a few occasions and we got lucky that she didn't beat us. But Courtney did a fantastic job."
On weather playing into UConn's favor:
"It was the same game for both teams. Actually I was more worried about my kids. They had their warm-ups on all through pregame and introductions, while Florida State was out there in their shorts. I was a little worried about that. "
On the combination of Kristen and Jessica and the way they play together:
"They both did a great job executing on the times they had to with Kristen scoring a great first goal. For the most part, we were not as connected as I would have liked us to have been, you have to give credit to Florida State for their tough defense. Kristen was a great finisher today and Jessica did a great job creating shots for our goal scorers. "
Kristen Graczyk, Junior, Forward/Midfield
On her two goals:
"On the second goal, Kristen Fisher did a great job crossing the ball to me so I could finish it. It was a set designed play that we have worked on in practice all most everyday. That first goal was a definite turning point in the game. They started to press a little more after the first goal but after the second, the pressure tailed off a bit. "
On Erin's play in goal for UConn: |
"Erin came up huge today. All year long she has come up big for us and today was no different. This was the best game she has played all year. "
Jessica Gjertsen, Junior, Forward
On the first goal:
"When I get the ball that deep, I just look up and try and hit Kristen's head. That is the first thing I look for, when I'm going down the sideline. It was something that worked once before and luckily it worked again. "
On being surprised to be in the finals:
"At first I was but there was a point where everyone doubted what this team could do. After making it through the first round against BU and then after the CCSU game, everything seemed to change. Everything began to click and I knew we would make it after that. There was that feeling that everyone was together as a team to make it to the finals and play for the championship. "
Erin Rice, Senior, Goalkeeper
On the pressure she faced from the Florida State offensive front:
"Well, I have to give Florida State credit. They came at us hard the whole game. It was one of the first game's that I was winded at the end of the first half with all the running around they had me doing. They threw a lot of people at us the whole game and had some really good shots on net. We were fortunate a few times that they didn't score. It was just one of those close games, I really enjoy being a part of. "
On a first half save off a shot from Gallegos:
"I knew that my left side was where she was going. I had the near post closed off, so I figured she was going to the far post. It was one of those things that you just go for it and hope that your decision is the right one. And luckily that decision was a good one, as she hit me square in the chest."
