TicketsSept. 18, 2009
CINCINNATI - Sydney Barker (Roswell, Ga./Roswell) headed in the game-winning goal leading the University of Cincinnati women's soccer team to a 2-0 shutout victory over the visiting University of Louisville in BIG EAST Conference action Friday night at Gettler Stadium. Cincinnati (5-3-0, 1-0-0) earned its first BIG EAST season opener since joining the league and snapped a six-year losing streak against the Cardinals (2-4-0, 0-1-0) with the win.
"This is a huge win for our program," said head coach Michelle Salmon. "Louisville is a great team and there wasn't a player on the field, or on the bench for us, that didn't give 100 percent today. We played great soccer and for us to come out on the winning end against a great team, I'm very pleased."
The game remained scoreless until the 49:05 mark in the second half when Barker headed in her first goal of 2009 off a corner kick from Melissa Bigg (Limehouse, Ont./Acton). UC sealed the win when Erin MacDonald (St. Catharine's, Ont./West Park Secondary) struck a perfect cross from the right side to a streaking Kendall Loggins (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) who hit the back of the net in stride with 72:24 on the clock.
Cincinnati's defense was strong as Louisville out-shot the Bearcats, 18-11, for the game. Kelli Pawelko (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) made numerous stops on the Cardinal offense and Andrea Kaminski (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville), who earned her fourth win in goal this season, had several impressive diving saves for UC. Kaminski finished the game with 11 saves and earned her third shutout of the season and the 14th of her career, moving her into fourth place in UC's record book for career shutouts.
"KP (Kelli Pawelko) was huge today," said Salmon. "It was the best defensive effort she's made since she arrived here at Cincinnati. Competition has really pushed Andrea Kaminski beyond any limits that she ever expected for herself and we are seeing the fruits of that today. To have the game she had today against Louisville, it really is a credit to her character and her drive as a person."
Cincinnati hosts Akron on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 3:30 p.m., following the men's match against West Virginia at Gettler Stadium.