Oct. 7, 2005
Box Score | Team Stats
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Senior forward Leigh Kosco scored in the 13th minute on Army's only shot of the first half to lead the Black Knights to a 1-0 Star Game victory over the Navy women's soccer team Friday night at a rain-soaked Glen Warner Soccer Facility. Kosco dribbled her way past two Navy defenders on the right side of the box where she booted the ball from 15 yards out and into the bottom left corner of the cage.
"It was a good finish," said Navy head coach Carin Gabarra about Kosco's game-winner. "She beat two of our defenders and got off a good shot. One shot and one goal, that's what it takes to win a game."
For Navy, it was the second-straight game in which the Mids were unable to finish their goal-scoring chances. The Mids, who had the wind in their favor in the first half, outshot the Black Knights 9-1 in the first stanza and 16-7 for the game. Navy also held a 9-1 advantage in corner kicks during the first 45 minutes, but were unable to stick a shot in the back of the net.
"That's the game of soccer," Gabarra remarked when asked about Navy's dominance on the stats sheet and on the field. "It's one of the few sports where you can dominate throughout the game and one slip makes the difference. It's one of the reasons why I love the game. It's also the reason it can frustrate you."
While Navy had a difficult time finishing, Gabarra credited Army junior Rebecca Garcia with her strong play in goal.
"Credit Army's goalkeeper. She saved a lot of our shots and came up big, particularly on a shot by Julie Reynolds (Sherman, Conn.) early in the second half," said Gabarra. "It was a tough game for goalkeepers with the field conditions and the ball being slippery. It affords the keepers no errors, but I felt both teams got good play out of their goalkeepers."
Garcia was forced to make a diving save when sophomore midfielder Jeannette Benson (Wilmington, Del.) punched a shot in the 39th minute of the game. In the 53rd minute, Reynolds had a one-on-one opportunity with the keeper in which Garcia was able to get a hand on and bat out of the net. Junior forward Meggie Curran's (Silver Spring, Md.) shot in the 85th minute just cleared the cross bar, as Navy kept sending shots but couldn't get results it desperately needed to even the score.
"Our passion was back tonight, as was our intensity," said Gabarra. "We did a lot of things right, but we just couldn't convert."
The win marked Army's first victory over the Midshipmen in Annapolis since 1997 when the Black Knights earned a 1-0 overtime win. Army evened the series at 7-7-1 and produced its second-consecutive win over Navy, the first time it's claimed back-to-back wins against the Mids since the 1997 season in which it won the regular-season tilt, as well as a Patriot League Tournament contest.
Navy returns to action Sunday when it plays host to Patriot League foe Holy Cross. Game time is set for 1 p.m. at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility. Those fans who bring their ticket stub from Saturday's Navy-Air Force football game will be admitted to Sunday's soccer contest free of charge.
Goals By Period 1 2 OT F
Army (8-4-0/2-0-0 PL) 1 0 - 1
Navy (7-4-2/0-2-0 PL) 0 0 - 0
Scoring Summary
Army 12:03 Leigh Kosco (3) unassisted
() - # goals this year
Shots: Army 1-6 - 7; Navy 9-7 - 16
Corners: Army 1-3 - 4; Navy 9-2 - 11
Saves: Army 2-4 - 6, Navy 0-5 - 5
Fouls: Army 2-5 - 7; Navy 3-2 - 5
G-o N-a-v-y
