Nov. 1, 2006

Box Score

LAFAYETTE, LA (November 1, 2006) -- Alicia Tirelli scored in the 89th minute to give Florida Atlantic University women's soccer a 1-0 win over Western Kentucky in the opening round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, hosted by Louisiana-Lafayette.

"We needed that. We had nine corner kicks, and we really didn't create a lot of danger with them," Head Women's Soccer Coach Brian Dooley said. "Natalie really drove the ball and that allowed (Tirelli) to redirect it past the keeper."

Tirelli scored her sixth goal in seven games on a header off a corner kick by Natalie D'Oria after Tessa McGarrity forced a Lady Hilltopper defender to knock the ball over the end line.

In an extremely physical contest, the game's momentum swung back and forth throughout the match.

FAU held WKU to just one shot on goal late into the second half, but WKU applied heavy pressure in the final 20 minutes and just missed an opportunity with under 10 minutes left as Kristina Cocchiarella's diving shot beat goalkeeper Megan Coyne but rolled just past the right post.

The teams were scoreless after the first 45 minutes of play, with each keeper being asked to make one save.

The Owls carried the play early in the second half, forcing their possession style of play on the Lady Hilltoppers until the 70th minute, when momentum changed sides once again and leaned the way of Western Kentucky for the next 15 minutes before the Owls were able to advance the ball to the corner, where McGarrity forced the corner that led to the eventual game-winner.

Christina Chang and Susanna Lehtinen led FAU with three shot attempts each, while Tirelli, Allyssa Eramo and Meredith White each placed one on goal. Tirelli's header was her lone shot attempt in the contest. FAU held an 11-8 shot advantage in the match.

With the win, the Owls advance to the semifinal round and will face Denver, who finished the regular season unbeaten in conference play. The Pioneers placed five players on the First Team All-Sun Belt squad and two more on the second team, including the Sun Belt Player of the Year Taryn Hemmings who registered a hat trick versus no. 8 seed UALR in the Pioneers' opening round match-up.

Denver took the regular-season meeting between the two teams, 5-0 in Denver, CO.

"The kids are excited to prove we're better than what we showed the first time," Dooley said. "This group has a lot of pride in them. We don't win games by being pretty, we win games by out-working our opponent. Our kids are going in with expectations to win. This is a different environment, and it's a neutral site."

DU and FAU will square-off Thursday at 5 p.m., eastern.