WOMEN'S SOCCER OPENS UP CONFERENCE PLAY AT NAU, HOSTS UNC

10/8/2008

DEFENDING CHAMPS OPEN UP BIG SKY PLAY AT NAU, HOST UNC
    The Sacramento State women’s soccer team, who won the Big Sky Conference title in 2007 and were selected as the favorite for the season in the preseason coaches poll, open up Big Sky play on the road at Northern Arizona on Friday night before returning home to face Northern Colorado on Sunday. Friday’s matchup pits the two teams with the best non-conference marks in the Big Sky. The matchup with the Bears is a rematch of the 2007 Big Sky Tournament title game, contested at Hornet Soccer Field, which was won by Sacramento State 2-0.

HORNETS RUN OFF FOURTH STRAIGHT HOME WIN WITH 2-0 VICTORY OVER UCSC
    Freshman Elece McBride tallied two assists, and junior Katelin Hopping and freshman Jessica Gregory collected their first goals of the season, as Sacramento State defeated UC Santa Cruz on Sunday, Oct. 5 at Hornet Soccer Field.
    Sacramento State opened the scoring in the 29th minute as McBride sent a cross from the far side toward the top of the 18 where Hopping was awaiting with her right foot. Hopping sent a powerful ball high into the net, giving the Hornets a 1-0 lead. The advantage would spread to 2-0 in the 34th minute, as sophomore Erin Tarantino sent a through ball to the feet of McBride, who one touched it to her fellow freshman teammate Gregory, who connected on her first career goal.
    At intermission, the Hornets held a 15-4 shot advantage, with Sacramento State putting eight shots on goal to the Banana Slugs two.
    The second half saw Sacramento State have several chances to increase the lead further, but to no avail. Gregory almost connected on her second goal of the game in the 57th minute, only to see her shot hit the post. Junior Kim Kemper also had several quality second half chances saved by Banana Slug ‘keeper Janneke Lang, who played the final 45 minutes without allowing a goal.
    Redshirt freshman Savannah Abercrombie recorded her fourth career clean sheet in just her fifth start in goal for Sacramento State, posting three saves for the game. Kemper and freshman Jordan Carlberg led the Hornets offensively with five shots apiece, while a total of 13 Hornets took shots in the game. Sacramento State also was able to play every healthy body available to them, as the Hornets had 22 players appear in the match.

CARLBERG’S FIRST CAREER GOAL LEADS HORNETS TO 2-0 VICTORY OVER NEVADA
    Freshman Jordan Carlberg scored her first career goal in the 40th minute and junior Ashley Forbes added a penalty kick in the 54th, as the Sacramento State women’s soccer team took down the Nevada Wolf Pack, 2-0, on Thursday, Oct. 2 at Hornet Soccer Field.
    In a game that was mostly contested in the midfield, Sacramento State opened the scoring in the 40th minute on of their few chances of the half. Elece McBride found fellow freshman Carlberg on the left side of the box, and Carlberg slotted a shot that snuck in just shy of the far post for her first career goal. Carlberg had incorrectly been credited with a goal in the Hornets contest at Cal State Bakersfield last Friday.
    The half time totals saw Sacramento State total six shots, while the Wolf Pack mustered three.
    The second half of the contest saw the Hornets post an early insurance goal off of a penalty kick from Forbes in the 54th minute. Junior Kim Kemper had produced a through ball from midfield to the foot of sophomore Leah Larot, who streaked into the box in a one-on-one situation against ‘keeper Marie Cove. Cove dove at Larot and drew a foul in the penalty area, which gave the Hornets their first PK chance of the year.
    Carlberg nearly posted her second goal of the game later, as in the 84th minute she attempted to chip Cove from 25 yards out, only to see her attempt hit the crossbar and roll over the goal.
    For the match, the Hornets outshot the Wolf Pack 15-8, posting seven shots on goal to Nevada’s two. Forbes led the Hornets with four shots, including two on goal, while Carlberg collected three shots including two on frame. Jessica Thompson led all attackers for the Wolf Pack with four shots.
    Redshirt freshman ‘keeper Savannah Abercrombie posted the third clean sheet of her career in just four starts, making one save, while the Hornets were also credited with a team save. Sarah Hunt tallied two saves in goal playing the first half for Nevada, while Cove posted three saves during her second half stint in net.

ELECE McBRIDE NAMED BIG SKY CONFERENCE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
    Sacramento State freshman Elece McBride was named the Big Sky Conference’s Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week for the Sept. 29-Oct. 5, as announced by the conference today.
    McBride had a career weekend, totaling three assists while leading the Hornets to a pair of 2-0 victories. McBride collected the assist on fellow freshman Jordan Carlberg’s game-winning goal against Nevada on Thursday, and followed that up with another game-winning assist on junior Katelin Hopping’s goal against UC Santa Cruz on Sunday.
    Excluding the Hornets goal on a penalty kick against Nevada, McBride had her hand in every goal the team scored on the weekend. For McBride, a native of Roseville, Calif., the weekend total of three assists marked the first three points of her career.
    For the Hornets, the honor marked the second weekly award of the season, as Kara Taylor earned defender of the week Sept. 15-21.