Women's Soccer 9/12/07 -- Augsburg 1, Concordia-Moorhead 1 (2OT)
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MINNEAPOLIS (9/12/07) -- Kelsey Watsabaugh (Jr., Eden Prairie, Minn./Hopkins HS) bent a free kick into the goal in the 70th minute, enabling her Augsburg College women's soccer team to claim a 1-1 tie in two overtimes with visiting Concordia College-Moorhead, in a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest at Edor Nelson Field.
Taking a free kick along the right sideline about 20 yards out, Watsabaugh curved the kick into the net to tie the game for Augsburg (1-2-2 overall, 0-0-1 MIAC). The goal was her team-leading third of the season.
"Both goals in the match were great shots. In particular, Kelsey's freekick was an outstanding strike, and was obviously the lift we needed to bring the match level," said Augsburg head coach Mike Navarre.
Concordia (2-2-1 overall, 0-0-1 MIAC), the defending MIAC regular-season and playoff champions, had taken an early lead on a goal by Sam Johnson (Fr., Fargo, N.D./Fargo North HS) in the 20th minute. Johnson took the ball off a turnover and blasted it to the upper left corner of the goal from 35 yards out.
"We did not play very well tonight. However, Concordia had a lot to do with that; they are a solid team and should once again compete for the conference championship," Navarre said. "We are not happy with the tie, but we realize that it's still a good result against a top team in the region."
Concordia outshot Augsburg by a 26-13 margin, including a 13-9 margin in the second half and a 6-1 edge in the 20 minutes of overtime.
Both teams had solid scoring opportunities in the overtime sessions. Shots by Abby Habein (Fr., Billings, Mont./Billings Senior HS) and Susan Obermiller (Fr., Fargo, N.D./Fargo North HS) were saved by Augsburg goalkeeper Maggie DeGroot * (Jr., Waukesha, Wis./Waukesha West HS) in the first overtime, and in the second overtime, a free kick by Watsabaugh was stopped by a diving save by Concordia goalkeeper Britt Reiersgord (Jr., Edina, Minn.).
DeGroot claimed eight saves for the Auggies, while Reiersgord had four saves for the Cobbers.
"We are still improving and our best soccer lies ahead," Navarre said. "I told the players that the conference championship is a marathon, not a race. Although we would have liked to have found a way to win, it's early in the season and we can take this result and build upon it."
Both teams return to action on Saturday (9/15), with Concordia hosting Gustavus at 1 p.m., and Augsburg hosting Buena Vista (Iowa) in nonconference action at 3:30 p.m.
