September 30,
2005 BALL DOESN'T BOUNCE FOR SYCAMORES IN 2OT HEART BREAKER TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - With less than two minutes remaining in the second overtime the Missouri State Bears lined up for the eventual game winning corner kick. The ball sailed into the box, headed into the hands of a leaping Rachel Rudzis who was not able to cover up and in the ensuing helter-skelter the ball wound up in the back of the net off the foot of MSU’s Allison Osmundson. “I told the girls that it was okay to be disappointed that we lost, but not how we lost,” head coach Vernon Croft said. “I hated to sound cliché, but I told them sometimes the ball doesn’t bounce in our favor-it just happened that it was more literal this time.” The Sycamores had played well over the first 108 minutes of the game with scoring opportunities just not going in their favor. Midfielder Callie McDonough, back from an off-season injury, set the ball into play on multiple occasions. Her passes to sophomore Lauren Podolski in the second half were shots that the native of Ontario just couldn’t quite put past the keeper. During the first two halves the Sycamores matched the Bears shot-for-shot, matching their opponent with nine shots. However, Missouri State pressed the ball in the second half and out shot ISU 6-1 and led the advantage in corner kicks 5-3. ISU still continues to struggle on matches that have been played
on Fridays, going 0-5-1. However, the loss could spell trouble for
the Sycamores’ opponent on Sunday. The women are 2-0 at home
on Sundays following a loss, and will look for a similar outcome
when they face Southern Utah at noon.
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