ERIE, Pa. (September 9, 2011) – With a slight nod of their heads and a few wiggles of their fingers, Kutztown University women's soccer coaches Erik Burstein and Brittney Ruggieri made some adjustments early in the second half of Friday's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) opener against Mercyhurst College.
The change in strategy paid off for the visiting Golden Bears, who controlled the second half and claimed a 3-1 victory over the Lakers. BOXSCORE
Kutztown sophomore Janine Valerio (Washington Township, NJ/Washington Township) scored two goals in a 15-second span to fuel the win. Crystal Zerbe (Myerstown, PA/Tulpehocken) added an insurance tally that helped KU improve to 2-1 overall and 1-0 in the ultra-competitive PSAC.
For Kutztown, it was a great start to its weekend by Lake Erie, the fourth largest lake(by surface area) of the five Great Lakes, and the thirteenth largest globally.
“Brittney and I had some things to sort out at halftime,” Burstein said. “We had to make a formation change about 10 minutes into the second half and it really made a difference. However, the credit goes to the players for raising their energy level after we made the change. It was a formation that we've never used before, not even in preseason. The team did a nice job of adapting.”
The game was 0-0 at intermission, but with Maria Borland (Hagerstown, MD/Hagerstown) and Stephanie Borland (Hagerstown, MD/Hagerstown) creating offensive chances with their speed and tireless work ethic, Kutztown quickly applied pressure. Stephanie was tackled in the box, which resulted in a penalty kick. Calmly and confidently, Valerio placed the ball into the lower left corner for her first career collegiate goal.
As fans were getting settled in their seats following the opening goal, Valerio struck again. Maria Borland (Hagerstown, MD/Hagerstown) threaded a beautiful pass through the center that Valerio deposited into the upper left corner. The shot was so hard so fast that Hope Solo would've had trouble stopping it. Valerio is one of many talented players on Kutztown's roster, who will play a major role in what could be a special season.
“I was nervous because the game was scoreless at the time,” Valerio said of her penalty kick chance. “I knew if I put the ball in the corner, my chances of making the shot would be good so that's what I focused on. I had a lot of pressure on me from the team because we had worked so hard for this chance and I didn't want it to go to waste.”
While the offense took charge early, the defense led by Laura Hearn (Wall, N.J./St. Rose), Allie Riegel (Doylestown, PA/Central Bucks West), Katie Oliveri (Mifflinburg, PA/Mifflinburg) and BrieAnn Shipkowski (Manheim, PA/Manheim Central) made sure KU would not lose the lead. They did a great job of keeping Mercyhurst's offense under control. Even when the Lakers cut KU's lead to 2-1 on a Marie Dunning goal in the 78th minute, the Golden Bears didn't panic.
Kutztown's defense is still young and still adjusting to life without All-American Chelsea Deeter (Langhorne, PA/Neshaminy). Shipkowski and Hearn are the veterans of the unit. Even though Shipkowski is experienced, she didn't play against Rollins early in the week. Instead of pouting, Shipkowski supported her teammates and made sure she stayed ready. Following a conversation with Burstein, Shipkowski was fantastic against the Lakers. She's a rare athlete who puts the team first and knows that she's one part of the championship puzzle.
“We talked about hustling to the ball and making sure I get the job done,” Shipkowski said. “Coach thinks very highly about our defense and he wants nothing but the best for us. It was difficult not playing, but whether you're on the bench or on the field, you're still part of the team and equally important. I changed what coach wanted me to change, and I got on the field today. It felt really good.”
Kutztown finishes its weekend road trip when it plays Gannon University Saturday evening at 5 p.m.
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