Soccer Ends Year With Win

October 28, 2007

TAHLEQUAH, Okla. -- Southwestern Oklahoma State University managed to put aside what had been a disappointing soccer season and ended the year with a positive 1-0 victory over Northeastern State University in Tahlequah Sunday. The win came after a 2-2 double-overtime tie Friday at East Central University and ended the Bulldogs season at 1-17-1 overall and 1-8-1 in Lone Star Conference play. NSU ended its year at 6-13-1 and 4-6.

SWOSU’s victory against NSU was the second time in the last four tries and ended what had been a 22-game winless streak that stretched back to the 2006 season.

The Bulldogs attempted only three shots to NSU’s 16, but had the one that counted the most. Stephanie Kneedler put her head on a free kick that was directed by Jamie Hilterbran and sent it into the net for a score in the 24th minute. The goal was Kneedler’s third of the season and allowed her to pull into a tie with teammateRobin Reidle for the most scores this season.

The slim 1-0 lead stayed firm thanks to the Bulldogs defense and the play of goalkeeper Becky Hilterbran who recorded her first shutout of the season. Hilterbran kept 12 of NSU’s 16 shots from scoring by coming up with a save.

Against ECU, Kneedler was again the hero as she scored in the game’s 79th minute to tie it at 2-2. She took a cross from teammate Jessica Storey and made her shot from seven yards out.

The Bulldogs had tied the game earlier at 1-1 when Terra Santistevan scored in the 20th minute when she went long-range from a kick that was estimated at approximately 35 yards.

Neither team scored in the two, 10-minute overtime periods. Hilterbran was challenged in goal for SWOSU and delivered coming up with five of her six saves in the final 10 minutes.