Creighton women’s soccer made it a perfect Labor Day weekend with a 4-1 victory over the visiting Northern Colorado Bears at Morrison Stadium on Sunday evening.
The Jays took a 1-0 lead on an unassisted goal by Alyssa Jara in the 9th minute. The goal came after sophomore Alissa Kohmetscher tried to center a pass in front of the box. The ball was deflected by a Northern Colorado defender, but Jara was there to gain possession and fire a shot into the lower right corner. It’s the second straight game with a goal for Jara, and also sets a new career-high with two goals so far in 2013 for the sophomore out of Folsom, California.
Creighton (2-2-0) carried that lead into halftime, but it didn’t take long for the Jays to take full control of the match. Much like their five-goal second half surge in Friday’s 6-0 win over North Dakota, the Bluejays challenged Northern Colorado’s back four at a relentless rate coming out of halftime. It paid off in the 50th minute when freshman scoring machine Paige Jarsombeck took a corner kick from Jill Richgels and sent into right down the middle of the goal to extend the Creighton lead. It was the 4th goal in the last three games for the newcomer from Tinley Park, Ill., joining former Creighton standout Brittney Neumann as the only two players to score goals in three consecutive games since 2010.
“I’m in a great rhythm, especially with all of the other forwards,” Jarsombeck said, “we’re all combining together in the midfield. I just keep trying to score each game… that’s my goal.”
Each of Jarsombeck’s goals have come in games where she has earned the start. Despite this being her first year on the team she’s already making an impact with more than just her ability to score goals.
“The single biggest thing that Paige brings to the table is that she’s one of our hardest workers,” said head coach Bruce Erickson. “When you’re on the field and you’re playing with a player like that you want to bring your level of effort up to hers.”
The Bears (1-3-0) didn’t go away after the Jarsombeck goal. Sophomore Rebecca Lancia cut her team’s deficit to one in the 57th minute when she got by Richgels and fired a shot over Creighton goalkeeper Danielle Rice.
Kelsey O’Donnell scored a goal off a PK against Northern Colorado (WBR/Mike Spomer — Click the photo to purchase!)
The momentum swung permanently in Creighton’s favor 11 minutes later when a Northern Colorado foul in the box set up a penalty kick for the Bluejays. Senior Kelsey O’Donnell stepped up to take the kick and easily beat Bears goalkeeper Natalie D’Adamio with a shot in the lower right corner.
“I was a little nervous after this spring when I missed my [penalty kick],” said O’Donnell when asked what was going through her mind prior to the kick. “I wanted to redeem myself. Before I get up there I usually know which side I’m going to pick. I just picked one half of the goal and hit it hard.”
Creighton saved the best for last when Lauren Cingoranelli sent a ball in front of D’Adamio where it met Darby Hugunin charging down from her midfield position. Hugunin, a freshman out of Sioux Falls, S.D., left her feet and headed the ball into the net to wrap up Creighton’s 2nd consecutive win in the 82nd minute. Her first collegiate goal was the third of the weekend for Creighton newcomers.
“I know ‘Lo’ (Lauren Cingoranelli) is really good on the flank, and I knew she was going to beat her girl. I was playing attacking mid so my job was just to get in the box. I knew she was going to cross it at some point so I just had to get in there. The ball was literally placed right on my head so I just had to kind of tap it in,” she said. “I don’t even know how to describe the feeling. It was probably one of the best experiences of my life.”
The two straight wins marks Creighton’s first winning streak since October of 2011, and while the results are good, coach Erickson and his group aren’t satisfied yet.
“To score ten goals and get two wins on the weekend is a good step in the right direction, but we’re still going to be a work in progress. I’m happy to progress and do so while winning a couple games, but we’re by all means not the finished product yet.”
Erickson’s team will have the week off before returning to the pitch on Sunday, September 8th when they take on Idaho. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Morrison Stadium.