The Barometer Online

Issue date: 4/15/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Jeff Wick Oregon State forward Chelsea Buckland battles for possession with Katherine Reynolds (left) and Ali Hawkins (right) of the United States.

A week after the men's team took on the Portland Timbers, the women's team upped the ante and took on the United States U-23 National Team.

The red, white and blue clashed magnificently with the Beavers' striking orange uniform. This match was a David-vs.-Goliath as the U.S. team was unwilling to give up anything to this young Beavers squad.

Remaining calm and composed, the women of OSU never once seemed fazed heading up to kick-off. Even in the hands of a 3-1 loss, a large crowd of aspiring, women Beavers and cheery chaperones, the OSU sideline never lacked cheer.

"We've been practicing for them all week … to get ready for the game," freshman midfielder Melinda Ingalls said about their opponent.

From first kick-off, the U.S. women wasted nothing, flaunting their superior physical skills. The best women under age 23 throughout the nation were a rare breed of speed and size that this awesome Oregon State squad has yet to match up against.In true strategic fashion, the Beavers' lineup took the heed of its coach and played the ball with great control, taking shots when the opportunities arose.

The U.S. team picked up a scrub goal and found the back of the net for its first point with 25 minutes remaining in the first half.

Following this development, the Beavers fought back with magnificent control and found themselves at the attacking end of several offensive possessions.

"You got to come out hard, make life difficult for the other team, and they did that against us," said U.S. coach Bill Irwin.

The box score did not reflect the play of Oregon State, as the half came to conclusion with the U-23 team leading by three goals. Outstanding play by defensive back Ashley Seal and central midfielder Najma Homidi kept the fans optimistic for a second-half comeback.

The women did not disappoint; a defining moment in the game came when the clocked rolled over the 60-minute mark and reset to 0. The game had restarted and OSU was ready for a fight. Chelsea Buckland put her defender to the ground and put a great shot on goal that sent the crowd into a roar.

At 73 minutes, the U.S. team was still up 3-0. At 74 minutes, everyone in the stands would agree that OSU led 1-0. Ingalls was handed a one-on-one opportunit with America's goalie and didn't disappoint with a hard ground stroke to the back of the net.

"It was my first goal as a Beaver," Ingalls said. "The scored didn't really show how well we played."

The crowd erupted, the OSU women went wild and 11 women wearing red, white and blue found themselves admiring the well-manicured grass of the pitch.

With one goal, the momentum changed and the Oregon State women were on top. Rounds of "We win" spurred on by the Oregon State men's team gave Paul Lorenz Field a festive atmosphere usually reserved for playoff soccer.

"The second half they came out and played in a groove," said head coach Linus Rhode.



Mark Pedersen, sports writer

sports@dailybarometer.com

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools