KUTZTOWN, Pa. (September 5, 2011) – Allie Riegel (Doylestown, PA/Central Bucks West) had a great time splish-splashing through the rain and mud during the Kutztown University women's soccer team's 3-0 setback to Rollins College in a non-conference match Monday afternoon before soaked spectators. (BOXSCORE)
Though the final result wasn't to the Golden Bears liking, they were able to take plenty of positives from this match that will help them throughout the season. Riegel is excited and happy to be a major contributor for the Golden Bears this season. She missed a week of training camp with an injury and she's just beginning to find her groove.
“It was crazy,” Reigel said of the deluge that turned the pitch into a skating rink. “You don't really notice how hard it's raining when you're running around. It's always fun to play in the rain. I like it. We never gave up and we battled hard the entire game even though we were down. I think that showed good character by our team. This game showed us that we can play with a high level team and it gives us confidence going into the rest of season.”
Overall, it took Kutztown (1-1 overall) some time to find its rhythm against Rollins, members of the Sunshine State Conference and perennial NCAA Division II title contender. However, once the Golden Bears got going, they were a sight to behold as they consistently pressured the Tars in the second half as the rain picked up its intensity. Kutztown had eight corner kicks after intermission and created some great scoring chances despite trailing, 2-0.
Sarah Black (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin) almost got KU on the board in the first minute of the second half with a blast from 25 feet out. However, as the ball was descending to the back of the net, Rollins keeper Michelle Dillingham was able to get a fingertip on the ball and redirect it over the net. Maria and Stephanie Borland (Hagerstown, MD/Hagerstown) applied their usual brand of offensive havoc by getting past Rollins' defense consistently. Freshmen Sam Costello (Westfield, N.J./Westfield) and Taylor Higgins (Leola, Pa./Conestoga Valley) and senior Shannon Pennock (Mansfield, N.J./Northern Burlington) also shined for the Golden Bears offensively.
“I loved our effort and I loved our spirit,” Kutztown head women's soccer coach Erik Burstein said. “We can really play. The thing that was nice was that we're ready to compete with the better conference teams. I was impressed with our overall performance. The heart, desire, the fight, everything is there and we just have some things we have to iron out. We have a very good team here.”
Riegel is one of the many ingredients to the Golden Bear success this season. Last year as a freshman, the affable Riegel wanted to play more, but after several conversations with Burstein, the pair developed a bond. Riegel is a perfect example of patience yielding huge rewards. She's a blur on the field with her speed, tenacity and instincts. Against Rollins, the 5 foot, 3 inch Reigel battled hard on the outside for the entire game. Following the game, Riegel looked as if she could play another match.
“Coach Burstein always told me the truth,” Riegel said. “He told me to wait my turn and I would get my opportunity to play. I just continued working hard. Getting injured during training camp was tough. I had faith that I would get on the field and do my job. It's been hard, but it's good to be back.”
Burstein is happy that Reigel trusted him.
“Allie has been fantastic,” Burstein said. “We had to calm her down last year. She was disappointed not to get on the field as much last year. Now, she's doing a great job of taking what we're giving her and applying it to the field. To perform like she did in these conditions is spectacular especially coming back from an injury. We're pleased with her and we know she's going to be very good for us.”
Kutztown returns to action Friday afternoon when it travels to Mercyhurst College in its Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) opener. The match begins at 4:30 p.m.
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