DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
Missouri
DePaul Fights Through Adversity to Tie Missouri 1-1
9/3/2010 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S SOCCER
Sept. 3, 2010
BlueTube: DePaul vs. Missouri Highlights
CHICAGO - Adversity paid an unwelcome visit to Wish Field on Friday, but DePaul never so much as flinched.
Despite losing three key starters to injuries, the Blue Demons fought and clawed their way to a 1-1, double-overtime tie with Big 12 power Missouri.
Standing on the field afterwards, Lauren Pagone had a big smile on her face.
"This is how we're going to play the rest of the season," said Pagone, who scored her second goal of the year in the 53rd minute off a pass from Kelly Blumberg for a 1-0 lead.
"We're going to look back on this day and remember the tremendous effort and fight. This is the kind of game that could be the turnaround for our season."
Oddly enough, it was a 1-0 upset of Missouri last year that launched DePaul to its best season since 2003.
"We knew this was going to be a tough game, and we knew we were the underdogs," Pagone said. "We're going to be the underdogs for every game, and that means coming out and fighting so much harder."
All up and down the lineup and right into the Blue Demon bench, Pagone & Co. extended themselves practically to their physical limits in compensating for their fallen teammates.
They bore the brunt of a bang-your-body conflict that saw 23 fouls called against a Missouri ballclub picked to finish third in the Big 12.
At one point, Callie Hemming went down with an apparent injury, shook it off and played on.
Goalkeeper Claire Hanold was brilliant, reflexively throwing up her hands and stopping a point-blank shot from Kendra Collins right in front of the net.
Another time, she dove and foiled a second Tiger attempt from close range.
In all, Hanold finished with nine saves.
The only one that eluded the sophomore was a blast of a free kick from 40 yards away by Dominique Richardson that appeared to gain velocity with one of the 30 miles-per-hour wind gusts that frequented Wish Field.
It sailed over Hanold's head into the net in the 81st minute. Missouri took five shots in the two overtime periods but Hanold and her defense handled every one.
"Given the circumstances of the injuries we sustained this week, I couldn't be prouder of our entire group and how we rose to the challenge of playing an extremely athletic Big 12 team," said DePaul coach Erin Chastain.
"Our team battles with a wonderful, competitive spirit, and we are excited for our next match Sunday against Miami (Ohio)."
Pagone was in the right place at the right time.
"I saw Kelly sending her pass to the near post of the goal," Pagone said. "I made a run at the goalie to try and distract her.
"That's when the ball flicked off my head and into the goal. I was like, `oh wow, it went in.'"
As Chastain watched as her players heading back to the locker room, she said: "We're going to be a scrappy, fighting team this season."
NOTES: Pagone took three of the Blue Demons' six shots with two on goal... Tara Strickland, Natasa Radosavljevic and Arianna Foster each had a shot... Missouri's best player Alysha Bonnick fired six shots, two on goal... the Tigers outshot DePaul 16-6 and had an 8-3 edge in corner kicks... Chastain started freshmen Rebekah Roller, Radosavljevic and Kylie Nordness while freshman Ashleigh Goddard came in off the bench... this was Nordness' first collegiate start... DePaul is now 2-2-1 on the season while Missouri is 0-3-1... all three Tiger losses were to Top 25 teams---including No. 1 North Carolina... Pagone is the leading goal-scorer with two, and is tied for the team lead in points (four) with Hemming... Blumberg has three points... Morgan Celaya is tops in shots with nine while Tara Strickland has seven and Pagone six... Hanold has made 24 saves in five games and has a goals-against average of 0.74... DePaul faces Miami (Ohio) at 3 p.m. Sunday at Wish Field.
